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4 


Marita 


— Frontispiece. 


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BY 
ELLA  STRTKER  MAPES 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

BT 
LATIMER  J.   WILSON 


G.    W.    Dillingham     Company 

Publishers  New  Tork 


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FACING   PAGE  \ 

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CHAPTER   I 

""VTOW  look  back,"  said  the  Judge,  bringing  his 
horses  to  a  standstill  on  the  bridge  with  a 
hump  in  its  back. 

Hamilton  turned  and  looked  down  upon  a  part  of  the 
Delaware  Valley  where  Nature  has  drawn  her  outlines 
and  swept  her  brush  with  lavish  strokes. 

"  Superb  !  "  he  exclaimed. 

"  Isn't  it  ?  "  said  the  Judge,  his  eyes  following  the 
shining  length  of  river  as  it  wound  through  sunlit  fields, 
stretching  away  to  meet  the  hills.  "  Do  you  see  how 
the  stream  widens  out  below  the  bend  where  the  wil- 
lows grow?  That's  where  the  barefoot  boys  fish  with 
birch  rods,  and  —  don't  you  let  her  know  I  told  you  — 
but  before  my  girl  grew  up,  she  was  often  found  there, 
too  —  bare  feet,  birch  rod,  and  a  can  of  bait  she  dug 
herself."  The  Judge  chuckled  over  this  betrayal  of 
his  daughter's  youthful  pranks,  and  then  changed  the 


BECAUSE  of  POWER 


subject  by  asking  Hamilton,  "if  he  heard  the  rush 
of  falling  water? " 

"  It  sounds  quite  near,"  replied  Hamilton,  listening. 

"  "Well,  right  up  there,"  said  the  Judge,  indicating 
the  direction  with  his  whip,  "  a  mountain  torrent 
tumbles  into  a  deep  ravine,  and  becomes  the  well-be- 
haved brook  under  the  bridge  we're  on." 

"  I  don't  wonder  you're  devoted  to  this  place,  Judge." 

"  Wait  a  little — you  haven't  seen  much  of  it  yet." 

They  drove  on  up  the  hill,  until  through  a  break  in 
the  trees  at  a  turn  of  the  road,  Hamilton  saw  the  town 
they  had  left,  far  below  them. 

"  I  didn't  realize  we  were  up  so  high,"  he  said  with 
some  surprise. 

"  Yes,  it's  a  steady  ascent  the  whole  two  miles," 
replied  the  Judge.  "  Look  ahead  of  you,  there — I 
want  to  know  what  you  think  of  that." 

"  That  "  was  a  colonial  house,  surrounded  by  stately 
trees  and  commanding  a  view  of  the  whole  valley.  It 
was  one  of  those  time-stained  dwellings  imbued  with 
the  charm  only  bestowed  by  the  passing  of  many  lives. 
A  wistaria  of  wondrous  growth  covered  its  weather- 
beaten  front,  overhanging  the  wide  veranda  and  whis- 
pering long  hidden  secrets  to  the  old-fashioned  flow- 


BECAUSE  of  POWER 


era  lying  in  the  shadow  of  the  mountains  rising  directly 
behind  the  house. 

The  general  appearance  of  the  place  led  Hamilton  to 
anticipate  the  choice  Chippendale  filling  the  rooms 
within.  Most  of  it  had  belonged  to  Mrs.  Burton's 
family,  and  she  kept  it  so  highly  polished  that  mirrors 
were  superfluous.  Marita  often  said  that  the  first  re- 
quisite of  a  suitable  maid  was  her  ability  as  a  polisher. 
So  much  dark  old  mahogany  might  not  have  suited  the 
Judge,  who  liked  things  cheery,  had  it  not  been  for 
Mrs.  Burton's  gift  of  making  everything  she  touched 
attractive.  She  had  a  delightful  way  of  slipping  a 
pillow  into  a  patriarchal  chair;  of  disposing  antique 
Turkish  squares  under  the  bronze  lamps  on  the  tables ; 
of  placing  magazines  and  ash-trays  on  stiff-looking 
stands;  of  brightening  dark  corners  with  flowers  and 
even  giving  a  sociable  air  to  the  bookcases  by  strew- 
ing favorite  volumes  on  top  of  the  rows  of  books. 

Mrs.  Burton  was  one  of  those  women  whose  exquisite 
taste  creates  an  air  of  refinement.  She  liked  only  good 
things,  and,  fortunately  for  her  contentment,  had  al- 
ways eaten  her  food  with  a  silver  fork  and  sipped  her 
tea  from  a  china  cup.  She  was  an  ideal  hostess,  and 
her  cordial  welcome  made  the  coolness  of  Marita's 
greeting  all  the  more  pronounced. 


8  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

As  Hamilton  dressed  for  dinner,  a  tall  figure  in  pale 
green  persistently  rose  before  him,  and  he  wondered 
if  the  Judge's  daughter  was  going  to  be  unapproach- 
able or  companionable.  Her  well  bred,  but  distant 
demeanor  downstairs  was  not  promising;  yet  when 
Hamilton  thought  of  the  barefoot  girl  fishing  under 
the  willows,  he  could  not  help  feeling  that  they  would 
be  friends — and  perhaps  her  greeting  was  not  so  cool 
after  all,  for  as  his  eyes  roamed  around  the  room  they 
rested  upon  a  tall,  clear  glass  vase  filled  with  long- 
stemmed  roses  of  the  deepest  red.  They  were  grouped 
with  a  certain  free  grace  quite  different  from  the  deli- 
cate arrangement  of  the  daisies  and  ferns  he  had  no- 
ticed in  the  rooms  below.  Hamilton  was  sure  that 
Marita  had  placed  the  roses  here,  and  bending  over 
them  he  revelled  in  their  fragrance ;  as  he  turned  away, 
a  large  thorn  caught  in  his  coat  sleeve  and  the  vase 
fell  to  the  floor,  crushing  some  of  the  flowers.  Much 
annoyed,  Hamilton  gathered  up  the  roses  and  replaced 
them  as  best  he  could,  consoling  himself  with  the 
thought  that  while  the  thorn  had  caused  the  petals  to 
be  bruised  it  had  also  been  instrumental  in  laying  bare 
the  golden  hearts. 

This  incident  occurred  to  Hamilton  several  times 


BECAUSE  of  POWER 


through  the  evening,  and  he  couldn't  help  wondering 
if  such  wealth  lay  beneath  Marita's  reserve  as  the  roses 
disclosed  when  their  petals  were  shaken  off.  There 
were  other  things  to  wonder  about,  also.  It  was  ap- 
parent that  the  Judge  adored  his  wife  and  daughter 
and  delighted  in  his  home;  he  was  known  to  have 
amassed  a  considerable  fortune  during  a  brilliant  career, 
and  his  social  position  was  enviable,  coming,  as  it  did, 
both  from  ancestral  and  personal  prestige;  but  notwith- 
standing these  happy  conditions,  there  was  that  in  the 
Judge's  face  which  told  of  suffering,  long  endured  and 
still  keen.  The  lines  were  so  deep  that  the  marking 
must  have  taken  many  years — yet  so  intense  that  they 
might  have  been  drawn  yesterday,  were  it  possible  to 
sear  a  face  as  his  was  seared  in  so  short  a  time.  There 
was  a  tone,  too,  in  his  voice  that  went  straight  to  your 
heart;  it  made  you  feel  that  here  was  a  man  to  whom 
much  might  be  confessed,  because  he  could  confess  much. 
To  his  wife  the  Judge  gave  that  tender  devotion  so 
beautiful  to  see  in  a  man  whose  hair  is  streaked  with 
gray;  his  manner  was  almost  reverent  at  times,  but 
never  tinged  with  the  intensity  which  characterized 
his  bearing  towards  Marita.  This  daughter  was  the 
heart  of  his  heart,  and  he  hungered  for  her  nearness 


io  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

as  a  lover  might.  She  was  the  one  person  who  could 
soften  the  lines  in  his  face — and  that  only  by  the  spell 
her  violin  cast  over  all  listeners. 

Grant  Hamilton  observed  this  on  that  first  evening 
at  Lindenhurst.  He  was  sitting  on  the  veranda  with 
the  Judge  and  Mrs.  Burton  while  Marita  was  filling  the 
air  with  the  kind  of  music  that  makes  one  thrill  as  in 
the  presence  of  an  unseen  power.  By  the  light  from 
the  library  windows  Hamilton  could  see  how  the  Judge's 
eyes  lingered  on  every  line  of  the  lithe  figure;  how 
they  wandered  from  the  thick  waves  of  chestnut  hair 
to  the  dark  eyes  now  lit  with  inward  fire;  how  they 
dwelt  upon  the  features,  so  like  his  own,  and  followed 
the  motion  of  her  hand  as  it  drew  from  the  violin  an 
expression  of  her  soul.  The  man  was  entirely  absorbed 
in  the  girl  he  watched  through  the  open  window,  and 
when  she  laid  aside  her  Cremona  he  sat  up  in  his  chair 
and  raised  his  eyebrows  as  if  rousing  himself  from  a 
dream. 

Hamilton's  observation  was  not  limited  to  the  Judge. 
He,  too,  watched  Marita,  thinking  that  if  beauty  is  a 
dangerous  rock  to  man,  that  subtlety  known  as  fascina- 
tion is  a  perilous  cliff.  "The  rock,"  he  thought,  "  causes 
man  many  a  fall,  but  he  picks  himself  up,  goes  on  his 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  n 

way,  and,  in  time,  his  bruises  heal.  The  cliff  is  another 
matter.  Beauty  attracts,  but  it  does  not  hold.  The 
woman  who  is  more  than  an  episode  in  a  man's  life 
has  a  power  greater  than  beauty — and  the  Judge's 
daughter  has  that  power." 

Hamilton  was  right;  Marita  did  have  that  power  in 
large  measure.  It  could  not  be  defined;  it  was  elusive, 
yet  always  there — a  personal  atmosphere  created  by 
the  manifestation  of  a  rare  soul  through  a  healthful 
body.  She  was  full  of  spirit,  and  everything  she  did 
suggested  capability.  When  she  walked  across  the 
room,  you  wanted  to  see  her  do  it  again;  when  she 
spoke,  you  thought  nothing  could  be  more  delightful 
until  she  laughed,  and  then  you  were  ready  to  commit 
any  absurdity  to  make  her  repeat  that  laugh.  From 
her  ardent  eyes  and  rich  vocal  tones  you  knew  that 
Marita  was  a  woman  of  passionate  nature;  from  her 
firm  step  and  resolute  mouth  you  knew  that  nature 
was  balanced  by  strong  character.  This  admirable 
poise  was  one  of  the  most  striking  things  about  Marita ; 
but  you  always  wondered  which  way  the  scale  would 
tip,  were  it  put  to  a  crucial  test. 

As  Hamilton  saw  her  that  night,  standing  with  the 
violin  under  her  chin,  eyes  aglow  and  figure  thrilled, 


12  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

warm  blood  flushing  her  cheeks  and  breath  coming  fast 
through  parted  lips,  he  felt  that  when  Marita  loved  she 
would  forget  everything.  Later,  when  he  saw  her  shut 
away  the  violin  and  gather  the  music  into  an  orderly 
pile,  he  felt  that  even  though  Marita  loved,  she  would 
remember  everything.  Were  it  otherwise,  she  would 
have  left  the  violin  uncased,  the  music  scattered. 

However  that  might  be,  Hamilton  knew  now  that 
this  rose  held  great  richness  within  its  petals,  and  he 
resolved  that  those  petals  should  be  folded  back.  Act- 
ing upon  this  resolution,  when  the  Judge  went  to  make 
his  nightly  visit  to  the  stables  to  see  that  his  pet  horse, 
Salem,  was  properly  cared  for,  Hamilton  drew  a  cigar 
from  his  pocket  and  stepped  through  the  low  window 
into  the  library,  where  Marita  was  closing  her  cabinet 
of  music. 

"  Will  you  take  me  to  an  ideal  place  for  this?  " 
he  asked,  holding  up  his  cigar.  "  I'm  sure  there  must 
be  one  somewhere  around  this  delightful  house." 

"  The  balcony  outside  that  window  is  a  favorite  place 
with  father's  friends,"  answered  Marita.  She  indicated 
the  window  by  a  slight  gesture,  and  was  moving  away 
when  Hamilton  said  in  a  tone  people  generally  heeded : 

"  I  asked  you  to  take  me  to  the  place." 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  13 

Marita  paused,  her  eyes  looking  into  his  with  some- 
thing in  their  depths  which  reminded  him  of  a  doe  he 
had  once  brought  to  bay  in  the  mountains.  Ready  to 
accept  his  challenge  and  battle  to  the  last  breath,  Marita 
saw  that  in  his  face  which  made  her  hesitate  an  instant ; 
then  she  turned,  and  without  a  word  led  the  way  to 
the  balcony. 

It  was  one  of  those  nights  when  the  air  is  full  of 
magnetism.  The  crescent  moon  had  disappeared  long 
ago,  but  the  heavens  were  clear  and  brilliant  with  stars. 
The  earth  was  rich  with  moist  fragrance,  and  the  trees 
whispered  as  they  never  do  in  the  daylight. 

Marita  stepped  through  the  window. 

"  Well,"  she  said,  with  a  touch  of  defiance  in  her 
tone,  "  I  have  taken  you  to  the  place." 

"  Won't  you  do  me  another  favor  and  occupy  this 
seat  ?  "  asked  Hamilton,  placing  a  chair  near  the  one 
he  was  about  to  take. 

Now  this  was  a  master-stroke ;  a  woman  loves  to  grant 
favors  to  a  strong-willed  man.  Marita  accepted  the 
chair  with  a  quiet  "  Thank  you."  Hamilton  was  glad 
he  didn't  have  his  hat — he  was  sure  he  would  have 
tossed  it  up  in  his  human  delight  over  getting  exactly 
what  he  wanted. 


14  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  Your  music  was  a  great  treat,  Miss  Burton,"  said 
Hamilton,  lighting  his  cigar. 

"  I  think  you  really  appreciate  music,"  she  returned. 

"  Why  do  you  think  so  ? "  he  asked,  looking  at  her 
profile  outlined  against  the  dark  background  of  vines. 

"  Because  you  don't  talk  about  it  the  moment  the 
last  note  is  sounded." 

"  I  can't.  I've  often  wished  I  could  say  the  grace- 
ful things  other  people  do;  but  the  words  refuse  to 
come." 

"  That's  just  it — you  enjoy  the  music  so  much  that 
words  seem  inadequate,  and  you  can't  speak  them." 

"  You  are  generous  to  offer  such  a  kind  reason  for 
my  lack  of  eloquence.  But  do  tell  me  about  your 
music,"  said  Hamilton,  knowing  she  would  talk  more 
freely  of  that  than  anything  else.  "  You  have  always 
cared  for  it  ?  " 

"  Always,"  replied  Marita.  "  Ever  since  I  can  re- 
member. I  used  to  beg  for  a  violin  when  they  gave 
me  dolls,  and  after  I  had  one  there  was  no  such  thing 
as  a  quiet  hour  at  Lindenhurst." 

"  Did  you  have  instruction  ?  " 

"  Not  until  I  went  to  Vassar ;  but  I  always  loved  it. 
A  violin  is  such  a  speaking  instrument!  It  answers 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  15 

to  your  lightest  touch,  responding  so  readily  to  any 
mood  and  winding  itself  right  into  your  life.  Really 
it  becomes  a  part  of  your  thoughts  and  feelings." 

"  Lucky  violin,"  thought  Hamilton,  only  saying : 
"  You're  a  true  musician." 

"  I  consider  it  a  great  privilege  to  be  able  to  sur- 
render to  the  spirit  of  music.  It  is  such  a  glorious  feel- 
ing. You  thrill  and  throb  and  forget  everything — 
even  the  notes.  You  just  give  yourself  up  to  the  lux- 
ury of  living  the  melody,  and  the  strings  breathe  under 
your  fingers." 

Hamilton  smiled  to  himself  in  the  darkness,  think- 
ing that  here  was  a  woman  worth  knowing.  Then  he 
said,  earnestly: 

"  Do  you  remember  Maggie  Tulliver's  words,  '  Music 
seems  to  infuse  strength  into  my  limbs  and  ideas  into 
my  brain.  Life  seems  to  go  on  without  effort,  when 
I  arn  filled  with  music  '  ?  " 

"  Why,"  said  Marita,  enthusiastically,  "  when  I  came 
to  those  words  in  '  The  Mill  on  the  Floss  '  I  laid  the 
book  down  and  wrote  the  two  sentences  on  a  sheet  of 
favorite  music,  I  liked  them  so  much." 

While  she  was  speaking,  the  Judge's  footsteps 
sounded  on  the  gravel  path. 


1 6  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"Marita,"  he  called. 

"  Yes,  father,"  she  answered.     "  Here  I  am." 

The  Judge  came  across  to  the  balcony,  and  leaning 
on  the  railing,  he  looked  up,  saying : 

"  I  wish  you'd  come  down  to  the  barn  and  tie  up 
Sam's  hand.  He's  given  it  an  ugly  cut." 

"  I'll  come  at  once,"  Marita  said.  "  Is  it  a  bad 
wound  ? " 

"  Not  very — it  needs  attention,  though." 

The  Judge  turned  towards  the  barn  again  and  Ham- 
ilton rose,  throwing  away  his  cigar  as  he  said : 

"  You  will  let  me  go  with  you  ? " 

"  It  isn't  necessary;  but  if  you'd  like  to " 

"  I  would,"  he  answered,  following  her  into  the 
house.  Marita  disappeared  for  a  few  moments,  and 
while  Hamilton  waited  for  her  on  the  veranda  his 
thoughts  were  not  traveling  far  from  Lindenhurst. 

When  she  came  out  of  the  house  he  took  the  basin 
of  water  from  her  hand,  exclaiming  as  he  did  so : 

"  Why,  this  is  hot !  " 

"  Of  course  it  is.  You  don't  suppose  I'd  dress  a 
wound  with  unsterilized  water  ?  " 

"  Pardon  me,  I  didn't  know  surgery  was  one  of  your 
accomplishments." 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  17 

"  It  isn't,"  Marita  said,  with  a  laugh.  "  Here  in  the 
country  we  have  to  do  for  ourselves  in  case  of  emerg- 
ency, and  my  mother  dislikes  the  sight  of  blood,  so  I 
do  this  kind  of  thing." 

On  their  way  through  the  garden  several  pictures 
rose  before  Hamilton — one  of  a  barefoot  girl  fishing 
in  the  shade  of  a  willow,  one  of  a  self-possessed  society 
woman  at  dinner,  one  of  an  artist  swayed  with  the  pas- 
sion of  music,  and  one  of  a  practical  helper  with  band- 
ages in  hand.  As  he  watched  the  girl  walking  in  front 
of  him,  he  wondered  if  she  would  do  her  work  without 
a  quiver  as  she  had  prepared  to  do  it  without  a  fuss. 

When  they  reached  the  barn  Sam  was  sitting  on  a 
tool-box  and  the  Judge  stood  near  him  holding  a  lan- 
tern. The  dim  light  cast  fantastic  shadows  on  the 
rough  walls  hung  with  harness,  and  the  occasional 
stamp  of  a  horse's  foot  echoed  into  the  hayloft.  Marita 
knelt  on  the  floor,  commencing  operations  at  once. 
Hamilton  observed  her  closely,  unable  to  detect  any 
sign  of  nervousness  as  she  cleansed  and  bandaged  the 
injured  hand. 

"  Where  did  she  learn  how  to  do  this  ? "  Hamilton 
asked  the  Judge  as  they  both  watched  her  deft  fingers 

fly. 


1 8  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  Don't  ask  me,"  he  answered.  "  I  suppose  she 
learned  how  to  dress  wounds  the  same  way  she  learned 
to  play  a  violin  before  she  ever  had  a  lesson." 

"  Hardly,  father,'  said  Marita,  smiling  at  him  as  she 
unrolled  a  package  of  antiseptic  gauze.  "  Music  may 
be  instinctive,  but  surgical  dressings  are  not.  My 
room-mate  at  college  met  with  an  accident,"  she  ex- 
plained to  Hamilton,  "  and  I  learned  something  from 
that  experience." 

Sam  looked  at  his  young  mistress  admiringly,  and 
spoke  with  unusual  emphasis  in  his  customary  drawl: 

"  Mis  Marita  c'n  do  anythin'  she  tries  to." 


CHAPTER   II 

f  I  VHE  next  morning  Hamilton  rose  early,  intend- 
ing to  take  a  row  on  the  river  before  breakfast. 
As  he  stepped  out  on  the  veranda,  the  glorious  air 
thrilled  through  every  fibre  with  that  tingling  sense 
cf  fresh  life  that  comes  only  when  the  day  is  young.  It 
was  intoxicating,  and  as  he  watched  the  mist  lift  from 
the  river  and  roll  away  he  was  possessed  with  a  strong 
desire  to  shout  aloud  just  for  the  joy  of  living;  but 
out  of  regard  for  the  quiet  sleepers  within,  he  re- 
strained the  impulse  and  started  off  at  a  brisk  pace 
down  the  road. 

People  always  spoke  of  Grant  Hamilton  as  one  of 
Fortune's  favorites.  Born  an  aristocrat,  he  had  been 
educated  at  Columbia,  like  most  of  his  ancestors,  had 
seen  a  large  part  of  the  civilized  world  and  had  money 
enough  to  do  as  he  liked.  His  face  was  strong  rather 
than  handsome.  The  long  nose  and  deep-set  eyes  bore 
a  marked  resemblance  to  Alexander  Hamilton's;  the 
firm  chin  was  tempered  by  the  gentle  mouth — yet  that, 
as  all  his  features,  bore  the  stamp  of  determination. 


2O  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

It  was  a  face  that  children  loved  and  their  elders 
trusted. 

Hamilton  lived  in  the  upper  part  of  New  York  City, 
where  his  widowed  mother  presided  over  the  old  family 
house  with  the  dignity  of  a  Colonial  dame.  She  would 
not  have  exchanged  the  quaintness  of  Hamilton  Grange 
for  the  elegance  of  any  mansion  in  town.  To  her  the 
house  was  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  Alexander  Hamil- 
ton, whose  lineage  she  had  studied  until  the  names  of 
his  ancestors  were  as  familiar  to  her  as  those  of  her 
own  family.  She  could  tell  you  all  about  the  founders 
and  branches  of  the  ducal  house  of  Hamilton,  and,  of 
course,  she  took  particular  delight  in  tracing  the  un- 
broken line  from  Bernard,  brother  Viking  of  Holla, 
first  Duke  of  Normandy,  down  to  Alexander  Hamilton, 
the  twenty-seventh  direct  descendent. 

The  great  man's  brilliant  career  and  tragic  end  were 
more  than  history  to  Grant.  As  a  boy  he  had  wor- 
shipped the  hero — as  a  man  he  recognized  a  vital  kin- 
ship with  his  ancestor  in  the  tenor  of  his  own  mind 
and  character.  Accustomed  to  think  for  himself,  firm 
in  his  convictions,  strong  in  his  passions,  he  was  yet 
genial,  frank  and  generous.  Perhaps  Alexander 
Hamilton's  success  at  the  bar  had  something  to  do 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  21 

with  Grant's  feeling  that  he  could  never  be  anything 
but  a  lawyer.  Certain  it  is,  that  when  he  learned  his 
mother's  wish  that  he  should  make  literature  his  pro- 
fession, he  felt  as  if  she  were  trying  to  deprive  him. 
of  his  birthright. 

He  never  forgot  that  moment;  it  had  always  seemed 
to  him  that  the  words  he  spoke  in  reply  were  the  first 
words  of  his  manhood.  Looking  from  his  mother  to 
the  portrait  of  Alexander  Hamilton  hanging  over  the 
library  hearth,  he  said: 

"  No,  mother;  with  his  blood  in  my  veins  I  must 
enter  active  life.  Nothing  but  positive  contact  with 
the  world  could  content  a  man  who  has  something  of 
that  man's  spirit." 

Mrs.  Hamilton  was  too  wise  to  combat  the  deter- 
mination expressed  in  look  and  tone  even  more  than 
words;  so  it  was  settled — though  she  always  maintained 
that  Grant  would  have  made  a  great  writer,  citing  his 
briefs,  which  were  noted  for  their  concise  style  and 
lucidity,  as  an  illustration  of  what  might  have  been. 

Both  briefs  and  clients  were  far  from  Grant  Ham- 
ilton's thoughts  as  he  swung  along  the  dusty  road  on 
the  way  to  the  river  side.  This  was  the  first  vaca- 
tion he  had  allowed  himself  since  he  began  practising 


22  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

law.  He  had  expected  to  enjoy  his  fortnight  at  Lin- 
denhurst  when  he  accepted  Judge  Burton's  invitation, 
though  not  anticipating  the  extent  of  the  pleasure 
awaiting  him.  Hamilton  did  not  know  that  the  place 
was  the  kind  of  a  spot  he  most  delighted  in;  only 
enough  of  man's  work  visible  to  make  the  wildness 
livable;  he  did  not  know  that  the  saddle-horses  were 
so  fine,  the  fish  in  the  streams  so  plenty,  the  books  so 
well  selected.  Nor  did  he  know  that  the  Judge's 
daughter  would  interest  him  so  much. 

He  was  thinking  of  Marita  as  he  unfastened  the  boat 
and  slowly  pulled  along  the  shore.  Now,  Hamilton 
knew  women  as  well  as  any  man  of  thirty-five,  not 
gifted  with  supernatural  powers,  can  know  them.  He 
had  known  the  fire  that  is  lit  by  their  eyes — had  once 
been  burnt  enough  to  bear  a  scar — but  never  had  he 
met  a  woman  who  impressed  him  quite  as  Marita  did. 
Whatever  she  said,  whatever  she  did,  conveyed  the 
idea  of  reserve  force.  He  felt  that  the  tide  of  her 
inner  life  ran  deep  and  strong — that  its  course  could 
not  easily  be  perverted — yet  he  knew  that  she  was  not 
self-sufficient.  Marita  had  the  independent  depend- 
ence which  men  invariably  delight  in,  and  Hamilton 
was  beginning  to  feel  its  charm. 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  23 

Just  now  he  was  re-living  the  hours  when  she  had 
filled  the  night  with  music,  smiling  to  himself  as  he 
recalled  Wordsworth's  lines : 

"  The  music  in  my  heart  I  bore, 
Long  after  it  was  heard  no  more." 

He  was  thinking  that  Marita's  music  left  one  with 
the  sense  of  having  received  a  benison,  when  suddenly 
his  attention  was  attracted  to  the  figure  of  a  woman 
flying  along  the  road.  She  was  covering  the  ground 
with  such  speed  that  little  could  be  distinguished  ex- 
cept a  short  brown  skirt  and  a  blue  shirt  waist.  Fear- 
ing something  startling  must  have  happened,  Hamil- 
ton began  pulling  back.  Then  he  saw  that  it  was 
Harita — and  surely  she  needed  no  assistance,  for  a 
happier,  more  rapturous  face  no  man  ever  gazed  upon. 
From  the  abandon  of  every  move  he  saw  that  the  air 
had  intoxicated  her  too.  Once  she  stretched  up  her 
arms  to  the  trees  above,  as  if  she  wished  that  "  all 
creation  had  but  one  mouth  that  she  mighf  kiss  it." 

After  running  a  little  way  she  slackened  her  pace, 
turning  into  the  river  path.  Marita's  hat  had  been 
left  at  home  this  morning,  and  as  she  came  down  the 
bank  her  waving  hair  caught  the  sunbeams  in  the  most 


24  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

betwitching  way.  It  was  almost  down,  too — how  Ham- 
ilton did  wish  that  the  last  pin  would  give  way!  He 
was  always  hoping  that  some  accident  would  send  it 
rippling  over  her  shoulders,  but  she  had  a  provoking 
way  of  fastening  it  securely. 

As  Marita  neared  the  water's  edge  she  saw  that  the 
boat  had  disappeared,  and  looking  down  the  river  to 
see  if  it  had  drifted  away  during  the  night,  she  dis- 
covered Hamilton  sitting  in  the  missing  craft,  resting 
on  the  oars. 

"  You're  more  sensible  than  I  thought  you  were," 
she  called. 

"  Why  ?  "  he  asked  as  he  pulled  towards  her.  "  Did 
you  think  I  was  hopelessly  addicted  to  the  morning 
nap?" 

"  Yes,"  she  answered  frankly,  "  I  did.  I  thought 
of  you  with  pity  when  I  came  out  to  revel  in  the  sun- 
rise." 

"  I  must  confess  I  was  only  thinking  about  getting 
up  when  the  sun  rose." 

"  Even  that  is  doing  well  for  a  city  man,"  she  said. 

"  You  were  going  for  a  row  ? "  he  asked,  stepping 
out  of  the  boat  and  holding  it  for  her. 

"  If  you'll  pull  down  to  the  spring,  I'll  pull  back." 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  25 

Marita's  tact  was  one  of  her  greatest  charms.  She 
knew  Hamilton  would  feel  uncomfortable  on  being 
caught  running  off  with  her  boat  when  she  wanted 
to  use  it,  and  this  was  a  very  pretty,  as  well  as  satis- 
factory, way  of  putting  him  at  his  ease. 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Hamilton,  taking  up  the  oars 
with  alacrity.  "  Which  way  is  the  spring — up  or 
down?" 

"  Both,"  she  returned,  laughing.  "  Down  the  river 
and  up  the  mountain.  It  is  a  spring  that  bubbles  right 
out  of  the  rocks,  and  the  water  is  delicious.  I  love 
to  go  there  after — '  She  hesitated,  and  he  suggested : 

"  After  you've  been  playing  Atalanta  ?  " 

"  You  saw  me  ?  "  She  paused  a  moment,  and  then, 
with  a  little  shrug  of  her  shoulders,  continued,  "  I 
know  it  is  a  wild  thing  to  do,  but  on  a  morning  like 
this  I  have  to  run.  There  is  something  within  me  that 
will  not  be  checked;  it  must  be  out  and  away,  as  free 
as  a  bird." 

Hamilton  looked  at  Marita  with  growing  admira- 
tion and  a  sense  of  comradeship  as  he  remembered  his 
own  longing  to  shout  aloud.  He  liked  her  impulse,  and 
he  liked  the  fearless  way  in  which  she  spoke  of  it. 

"  Don't  try  to  check  it,"  he  said,  smiling  straight  into 


26  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

her  eyes.  This  was  a  dangerous  thing  to  do,  for  when 
you  looked  iiito  those  depths  you  longed  to  fathom 
their  shadows  at  any  cost;  and  when  Hamilton  longed 
to  do  a  thing  he  generally  did  it. 

Marita  guided  the  boat  to  the  spot  where  she  wished 
to  land,  and  designated  the  tree,  which  she  called  "  the 
hitching-post."  When  they  began  to  ascend  the  moun- 
tain she  laughingly  refused  his  aid,  and,  stepping 
lightly  over  the  rocks,  showed  him  a  steep  path  which 
a  stranger  would  never  have  seen.  On  reaching  the 
spring  she  turned  to  him  with  sparkling  eyes  and  glow- 
ing cheeks. 

"  There,"  she  cried,  "  is  the  spring  of  everlasting 
life!  Drink,  and  your  soul  will  be  refreshed." 

Marita  didn't  look  as  if  her  soul  needed  refresh- 
ment, she  was  so  thoroughly  alive.  Like  a  true  moun- 
taineer, she  bent  over  the  spring  and  made  a  drinking 
cup  of  her  hand.  Following  her  example,  Hamilton 
dipped  his  hand  in  the  water  also,  saying : 

"  Here's  to  the  '  something  within  you  that  will  not 
be  checked ' !  May  it  long  remain  as  it  is." 

Marita  laughed  at  this,  making  no  reply.  She  seated 
herself  on  a  mossy  stone,  and  looking  up  at  Hamilton, 
asked : 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  27 

"  How  do  you  like  the  water  ?  " 

"  I  never  tasted  a  purer  draught;  and  this  woody 
dell  is  fit  for  the  home  of  a  nymph.  Why,  you  have 
everything  here — rocks  and  moss,  ferns  and  flowers, 
trees  and " 

"  Spiders,"  interrupted  Marita,  brushing  one  away. 
"  This  nook  has  been  a  little  of  everything  to  me — 
nursery,  schoolroom  and  sanctuary.  I  used  to  play 
here  by  the  hour;  the  roots  of  that  big  tree  over  there, 
with  a  pile  of  twigs  and  stones,  afforded  me  more 
amusement  than  toys.  When  I  left  off  play  for  study, 
I  always  worked  out  the  knotty  problems  here,  weather 
permitting.  Somehow,  things  were  easier  in  this 
place." 

"  And  the  sanctuary  ?  "  questioned  Hamilton,  stretch- 
ing himself  at  Marita's  feet  and  resting  his  head  on  his 
hand. 

"  Well,  I'm  afraid  I  must  own  that  I  was  a  very  bad 
child.  I  sometimes  ran  away  on  Sunday  morning  and 
came  here  instead  of  going  to  church.  No  amount  of 
scolding  or  punishment  could  make  me  mend  my  ways 
or  tell  where  I  went.  During  the  winter  I  behaved 
myself,  from  necessity;  when  the  warm  weather  came 
I  was  often  missing.  I  tried  to  be  proper — I  used  to 


28  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

make  up  my  mind  to  go  to  church  as  I  ought — but 
when  the  time  came  the  birds  called  and  the  leaves 
beckoned  and  away  I  went  to  the  woods." 

"  It  was  the  '  uncheckable  something  '  that  took  you." 
"  Perhaps  it  was — yes,  it  must  have  been." 
They  looked  at  each  other  and  smiled.     Then  he 
said: 

"  I  wonder  if  you  remember  the  lines  that  have  been 
running  in  my  head  while  you've  been  talking  ? " 

"  l  Overhead  the  tree-tops  meet; 

Flowers  and  grass  spring  'neath  one's  feet ; 
There  is  nought  above  me  and  nought  below 
My  childhood  had  not  learned  to  know/  ' 

"  Ah,"  she  said,  with  a  smile  of  recognition,  "  those 
are  little  Pippa's  words;  and  they  might  have  been 
written  for  me." 

"  Is  Browning  one  of  your  favorites  ? "  Hamilton 
asked. 

"Yes,"  she  replied,  "he  is.  But  I  refuse  to  dis- 
cuss poets  before  breakfast,  and  if  we  linger  here  any 
longer  we'll  have  coffee  and  chops  without  flavor." 

Marita  insisted  on  rowing  back  because  she  had  said 
she  would.  Hamilton  sat  in  the  stern  and  watched 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  29 

her — glad  that  she  pulled  a  good,  steady  stroke.  It 
annoys  a  man  to  see  a  woman  try  to  row  when  she 
doesn't  know  how. 

After  the  boat  was  moored  she  led  the  way  up  the 
path  and  he  followed,  wondering  how  many  women 
appreciated  the  blessing  of  an  attractive  back.  Marita 
certainly  had  that  indefinable  something  called  style. 
She  wore  her  bicycle  skirt  and  shirt  waist  with  an  air 
that  a  princess  might  envy. 

As  they  approached  the  house  Mrs.  Burton  came 
out  on  the  veranda,  and  seeing  Marita's  flushed  cheeks 
and  loosened  hair  she  suspected  a  run,  and  was  about 
to  remonstrate  when  Hamilton  exclaimed: 

"  Behold  a  merciful  maid !  She  found  me  escaping 
with  her  boat,  and  not  only  forgave  the  offence,  but 
allowed  me  to  sit  in  the  stern  and  admire  her  stroke." 

"  I'm  hungry,"  was  all  Marita  said  as  she  disappeared 
in  the  house ;  but  she  thanked  him  with  a  look  he  did 
not  soon  forget. 


CHAPTEK   HI 

A  T  the  breakfast  table  Judge  Burton  announced 
his  intention  of  taking  a  holiday,  saying  to 
Hamilton : 

"  Get  on  your  regimentals  and  I'll  show  you  some 
fishing  that  is  fishing." 

They  were  soon  ready  to  go,  and  started  off,  as 
Marita  said,  "  looking  jolly  enough  for  truant  school- 
boys." Crossing  the  meadows,  they  tramped  over  the 
hills,  following  an  indistinct  trail  through  the  woods. 
Though  Hamilton  had  angled  in  many  waters,  he  never 
before  had  fished  a  mountain  brook,  pushing  his  way 
through  tangled  underbrush  and  wading  deep  to  find 
quiet  pools  harboring  trout.  So  wild  were  the  haunts 
they  sought  that  the  fly-books  were  unopened,  for  the 
overhanging  trees  prevented  the  casting  of  a  line;  but 
the  homely  worms  provided  by  the  gardener  were 
dropped  into  the  stream  with  good  results,  and  they 
sat  down  at  noon,  tired  and  hungry,  though  satisfied 
with  life.  Hamilton  expressed  his  delight  with  their 
expedition  while  they  lunched  on  sandwiches  and  fruit. 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  31 

"  Well,"  said  the  Judge,  "  to  me  there's  nothing  so 
restful  as  a  day  like  this.  It  is  such  a  relief  to  get 
away  from  it  all — out  into  the  freedom  of  the  woods 
where  everything  is  natural.' 

Hamilton  looked  at  his  companion,  somewhat  sur- 
prised, not  at  the  words  so  much  as  the  tone,  which 
seemed  to  him  more  intense  than  the  occasion  war- 
ranted; then  he  smiled  to  himself  as  he  remembered 
Marita's  similar  expressions  of  the  early  morning,  not- 
ing how  the  man's  character  had  repeated  itself  in  his 
daughter. 

"  When  a  man  has  reached  my  age,"  continued  the 
Judge,  "  he  grows  impatient  of  conventions — weary, 
too,  of  always  playing  the  part  of  the  justice." 

Had  it  not  been  for  these  latter  remarks  Hamilton 
would  have  given  no  further  thought  to  the  former; 
but  the  Judge  spoke  in  a  half-apologetic  way,  as  if  to 
explain  the  earnestness  of  his  first  words,  and  the  speech 
that  was  meant  to  subdue  wonder  roused  it.  Often 
through  the  afternoon,  as  they  wandered  along  the 
bank  of  the  stream,  Hamilton  asked  himself  why  the 
Judge  found  it  "  such  a  relief  to  get  away  from  it 
all,"  and  questioned  the  meaning  of  "  it  all."  Being 
a  keen  observer  of  men  and  things,  he  looked  at  Judge 


32  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

Burton  with  a  new  interest,  and  wondered  if  the  lines 
in  his  face  had  been  traced  by  the  something  from 
which  he  longed  to  escape. 

Hamilton  was  still  occupied  with  these  thoughts 
when  they  left  the  brook  and  turned  their  steps  home- 
ward; but  as  they  neared  Lindenhurst  his  interest  in 
this  problem  lessened,  though  it  was  not  lost,  even  in 
the  fancied  visions  of  Marita  meeting  them  at  the  door. 
She  might — and  it  would  be  so  delightful  if  she  did. 
It  is  such  a  precious  thing — this  beginning  of  love — 
and  to  a  person  of  imaginative  temperament  so  fraught 
with  sweet  suggestions.  Hamilton  was  not  conscious 
of  loving  Marita — and,  indeed,  these  first  awakenings 
can  scarcely  be  called  love — but  he  was  conscious 
of  hoping  that  Marita  would  greet  them  on  their 
return,  and  keenly  disappointed  when  she  did  not. 
He  walked  upstairs  rather  impatiently,  and  it  is  to 
be  feared  that  his  neckscarf  was  not  any  too  carefully 
untied. 

Just  before  he  went  down  to  dinner  Hamilton  opened 
the  blinds  to  admit  the  air,  already  cooling  as  the  sun 
sank  behind  the  trees.  His  face  glowed  with  appre- 
ciation as  he  stood  at  the  window,  held  by  the  beauty 
of  the  valley  bathed  in  the  high  light  that  intensifies 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  33 

color  and  yet  seems  to  my&tify  everything — touched  by 
the  appealing  poetry  of  the  crescent  moon,  beginning 
her  reign  in  the  pale  blue  sky  so  soon  to  lose  its  opales- 
cence  in  the  duskiness  of  twilight. 

"  Another  '  night  divine,'  "  thought  Hamilton,  re- 
calling the  balcony  talk  of  the  previous  night. 
"  Strange  how  that  girl  is  absorbed  in  her  music ;  it's 
more  than  part  of  her  nature — it's  the  essence  of  her 
soul.  Such  abandon  to  art  is  rare,  especially  in  Amer- 
icans; but  then — she  is  intense — there's  nothing  luke- 
warm about  her " 

His  reverie  was  broken  by  the  sound  of  the  Judge's 
voice  calling: 

"  Marita !     Where  are  you  ?  " 

"  Here  I  am.     Do  you  want  me  ?  " 

Hamilton  smiled  when  he  heard  those  words  in  the 
tones  that  were  growing  familiar,  and  left  his  room 
with  a  mingled  feeling  of  contentment  and  unrest.  He 
found  the  family  on  the  veranda,  and  immediately  ob- 
served that  Marita  looked  particularly  well  in  white. 
The  clinging  muslin  revealed  the  grace  of  her  figure, 
and  as  she  came  towards  him  Hamilton  marvelled,  as 
he  often  did,  on  the  easy  strength  of  her  movements. 
All  through  dinner  he  was  thinking  that,  notwith- 


34  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

standing  her  irregular  features,  Marita  was  one  of  the 
most  distinguished  looking  women  he  had  ever  seen. 
Her  eyes  and  hair  were  matchless;  if  there  was  a  lack 
of  beauty  elsewhere  there  was  no  lack  of  character; 
the  olive  skin  glowed  with  health  and  the  whole  face 
was  animated  by  a  magnetism  that  attracted  strong 
men  because  it  was  the  outcome  of  a  satisfying  mental 
and  physical  maturity. 

While  they  were  still  sitting  around  the  table  Doctor 
Earle  was  announced.  Marita  rose  immediately,  and 
the  others  followed  her  out  on  the  veranda,  where  the 
gentlemen  smoked  their  cigars  with  the  caller. 

Hamilton  grew  restless  as  the  evening  advanced; 
he  had  hoped  for  more  music  and  a  vantage  point 
from  which  to  watch  the  musician.  This  desultory 
conversation  was  wearisome,  and  somehow  he  wished 
the  Doctor  was  less  interesting.  There  was  enough 
light  coming  through  the  wide  doorway  to  enable  him 
to  see  that  Henry  Earle  had  a  remarkable  way  of 
handling  his  straight,  athletic  figure — indeed,  Hamil- 
ton never  remembered  seeing  a  man  who  naturally 
posed  so  well.  It  was  too  dark  to  see  much  of  his  face, 
but  his  voice  was  delightful,  and  he  certainly  had  an 
original  turn  of  mind.  After  the  laughter  following 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  35 

one  of  his  inimitable  stories  had  subsided,  the  Doctor 
lit  another  cigar,  saying : 

"  Well,  Mr.  Hamilton,  what  do  you  think  of  Linden- 
hurst  V 

"  On  that  subject  I  do  not  believe  even  doctors  would 
disagree.  There  could  be  only  one  opinion." 

"  It  is  delightful,  isn't  it  ?  Such  a  perfect  specimen 
of  old-time  architecture.  This  entrance  is  famous;  of 
course  Judge  Burton  has  told  you  how  often  it  has 
been  copied?  I'm  going  to  subject  that  man's  head 
to  an  X-ray  some  time,  and  I'm  morally  sure  that  the 
portion  of  the  brain  lying  beneath  the  bump  of  pride 
will  be  plainly  stamped  with  a  reproduction  of  that 
doorway." 

"  If  it  is  as  you  say,"  returned  Mrs.  Burton,  "  I'm 
equally  sure  that  Marita  will  be  found  on  the  thresh- 
old." 

The  odd  fancy  amused  them  all,  but  Hamilton 
thought  the  Doctor  seemed  too  much  pleased  with  his 
own  clever  idea. 

"  '  Marita.'  That's  a  very  odd  name  of  yours,  Miss 
Burton." 

The  Judge  moved  his  chair  as  Marita  replied  to  the 
Doctor's  remark. 


36  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  It's  unusual  in  this  country." 

"  An  Italian  name,  isn't  it  ?  "  Earle  persisted. 

"  It  is,"  answered  the  Judge,  rising  abruptly.  "  If 
you  don't  mind,  we'll  go  down  to  the  barn  and  take  a 
look  at  Sam's  wounded  hand." 

Hamilton  knew  that  the  Doctor  was  not  longing  to 
go,  but  of  course  he  rose  and  accompanied  the  Judge. 
Mrs.  Burton  rose  also,  and  went  inside  to  superintend 
the  iced  drinks. 

"  I  was  born  in  Italy,"  said  Marita,  turning  towards 
Hamilton,  "  and  spent  the  first  years  of  my  life  there. 
Don't  you  suppose  that  has  something  to  do  with  my 
love  for  music  and  violets  ? " 

"  Possibly,"  he  replied  indulgently.  With  all  Ma- 
rita's  womanliness  there  was  a  childlike  simplicity  very 
winning  to  a  man  in  whom  the  protective  instinct  is 
strong. 

"  I  like  to  think  so,"  she  continued.  "  It  pleases  me 
to  fancy  that  glorious  Italy  has  infused  some  things 
into  my  blood." 

"  I  believe  it  has,"  said  Hamilton  decidedly.  "  You 
have  some  Italian  characteristics,  rather  strongly  de- 
veloped, I  should  say." 

"  What,  for  instance  ?  "  asked  Marita. 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  37 

"  Well,"  he  returned  slowly,  wishing  she  hadn't  asked 
that  question,  "  your  power  to  abandon  yourself  so  com- 
pletely to  the  spell  of  music  is  certainly  not  an  Amer- 
ican trait — "  He  paused. 

Marita  waited  a  little  before  she  said  playfully: 

"  That's  only  one  thing,  Mr.  Hamilton ;  and  I  believe 
you  said  '  characteristics.' ' 

"  Now,"  he  said,  laughing,  "  you've  turned  the  tables, 
and  are  cross-examining  a  lawyer.  Just  to  establish 
your  reputation  as  a  gainer  of  information,  I'll  tell 
you  another  characteristic."  He  moved  a  little  closer, 
and  leaning  forward  said  in  a  low  tone :  "  It's  the  '  un- 
checkable  something.' ' 

"  That's  an  evasion !  "  she  exclaimed  triumphantly. 
"  Now,  seriously,  don't  you  think  that  environment  has 
a  great  influence  upon  character  ?  " 

"Undoubtedly,"  affirmed  Hamilton.  "Provided 
the  environment  is  of  long  enough  duration." 

"  A  good  point,"  said  Marita,  whose  quick  apprecia- 
tion made  her  a  delightful  companion.  "  But  may  not 
even  temporary  surroundings  have  their  effect — especi- 
ialy  if  one  is  at  an  impressionable  age  ?  " 

"  Well,  Miss  Burton,  I  have  always  held  that  char- 
acter is  too  deep  to  be  moulded  by  transitory  things. 


38  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

So  much  of  it  comes  to  us  as  an  inheritance  and  the 
rest  is  largely  a  growth  fed  by  habits  and  thoughts  upon 
which  temporary  surroundings  have  little  effect." 

Their  conversation  was  of  short  duration,  for  they 
were  soon  interrupted  by  the  return  of  the  Judge  and 
Doctor  Earle.  At  a  word  from  her  father,  Marita  left 
them  to  get  out  her  music.  Both  Earle  and  Hamilton 
watched  her  as  she  walked  away,  the  Doctor  plunging 
his  hands  into  his  pockets  and  exclaiming: 

"  Isn't  she  stunning  in  that  white  gown !  " 

Hamilton  made  no  reply.  He  was  vexed  with  him- 
self for  allowing  this  remark  to  irritate  him;  but  it  did, 
nevertheless. 

"  How  is  the  evidence  developing  in  the  Austin 
case  ? "  he  asked  the  Judge,  who  then  gave  them  a 
detailed  account  of  the  proceedings,  as  Hamilton  felt 
sure  he  would;  however,  at  the  first  sound  of  the  violin 
the  Judge  stopped  talking,  soon  losing  himself  in  Ma- 
rita's  music  as  he  had  the  night  before. 

She  played  with  magnificent  technique  and  much 
expression,  too,  yet  Hamilton  missed  the  ecstasy  of  the 
previous  night.  Now  she  was  trying  to  give  others 
pleasure;  then  she  had  revelled  in  music  for  the  pure 
rapture  of  it.  "  Why  was  it  ? "  he  asked  himself. 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  39 

"  Why  did  she  feel  restrained?  Were  there  stirrings 
within  her  that  made  her  more  self-conscious?  If  so, 
who  caused  them  ?  " 

It  was  late  when  Marita  and  Hamilton  acompanied 
the  Doctor  to  the  gate.  He  untied  his  horse,  and  say- 
ing good  night,  rode  away,  leaving  them  standing  to- 
gether. 

Hamilton  was  a  tall  man,  and  Marita  was  just  enough 
shorter  so  that,  as  they  stood  side  by  side,  he  must 
bend  his  head  to  look  into  her  face.     He  bent  it  now. 
"  What  was  the  trouble  to-night — with  the  music  ?  " 
"  Why,  did  you  notice  anything  wrong  ?  " 
"  Only  that  you  did  not  play  as  you  did  last  night." 
"  Unfortunately,  one  can't  always  be  in  the  same 
mood." 

"  I  know  that;  but  there  was  a  reason  for  this  mood." 
Then,  fearing  he  had  said  too  much,  Hamilton  laid  a 
detaining  hand  on  her  arm,  saying :  "  Wait  a  moment ; 
before  you  go  in,  look  up  !  " 

She  did  look  up,  and  they  stood  silent,  awed  by  the 
superb  night  that  overarched  and  enveloped  them. 
Marita  looked  and  looked  until  the  magnitude  became 
almost  oppressive.  She  drew  a  long  breath. 

"  Now,"  he  asked  gently,  "  is  the  mood  quite  gone  ?  " 


4O  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  Yes,"  she  answered;  "  entirely.  I  could  play  now 
and  forget  everything 

"  Because  that,"  said  Hamilton,  indicating  the  star- 
lit sky,  "  has  made  you  forget  yourself." 

"  How  you  do  understand  people !  " 

"  Some  people,"  he  returned.  And  they  passed  in 
out  of  the  night. 


CHAPTEE   IV 

T  T  AMILTOK  was  one  of  the  Judge's  admirations. 
Marita  had  often  heard  her  father  enlarge  upon 
his  professional  ability,  his  sterling  qualities  and 
his  family  connections.  As  is  frequently  the  case 
with  people  who  form  their  own  judgments,  she  was 
inclined  to  be  very  critical  where  so  much  praise  had 
been  bestowed;  therefore  when  Hamilton  came  to  Lin- 
denhurst  he  was  on  probation  with  Marita,  but  he  had 
the  virile  power  which  always  appeals  to  women, 
especially  when  it  is  qualified  with  the  gentleness 
born  of  true  culture;  so  it  was  not  long  before  Ma- 
rita was  ready  to  endorse  her  father's  opinion.  She 
had  always  liked  the  spirit  evinced  by  Hamilton's 
daily  life,  knowing  he  was  one  of  the  hardest-worked 
lawyers  in  New  York  City,  though  his  fortune  would 
enable  him  to  live  well  without  lifting  his  hand,  and  ad- 
miring the  strong  nature  that  chose  to  marshal  its 
forces  on  the  battlefield  rather  than  exhibit  them  on 
the  parade  ground. 

Marita  was  thinking  of  the  incident  at  the  gate  as 


42  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

she  bent  over  the  breakfast  table  arranging  roses  still 
wet  with  dew.  The  few  men  who  can  divine  a 
woman's  moods  seldom  let  her  know  it — and  nothing 
pleases  her  more — for  it  implies  a  keen  interest,  if  no 
deeper  feeling.  Probably  Doctor  Earle  could  have 
understood  her  as  well  as  Hamilton  did,  but  he  would 
not  have  dared  to  tell  her  so,  and  then  she  wondered 
if  his  sympathy  would  have  been  complete  enough  to 
satisfy  her  need  as  it  was  satisfied.  With  a  woman's 
power  of  re-living  things,  she  felt  again  the  warmth 
of  the  firm  hand  on  her  arm,  she  heard  the  earnest 
voice  say,  "  Look  up."  Yes,  he  had  been  lovely  to 
her,  and  the  way  he  had  shielded  her  from  her 
mother's  disapproval  in  the  morning — it  was  sweet  to 
be  so  thoughtfully  considered. 

She  was  still  bending  over  the  roses  when  Hamil- 
ton entered  the  dining-room.  Coming  as  he  did  from 
restless  turnings  and  vague  dreamings,  he  thought  he 
never  had  beheld  anything  so  tantalizing  as  that  red 
rose  in  Marita's  hair.  Why  didn't  it  loosen  so  he 
could  fasten  it  in  those  waves  that  tempted  his  fingers 
every  time  he  saw  them?  This  longing  was  choked 
by  the  thought  that  he  had  no  right  to  replace  it — 
then  something  rushed  over  him,  leaving  a  great  de- 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  43 

termination  to  win  that  right.  While  the  tumult  of 
his  heart  was  declaring  that  Marita  should  be  his  wife, 
he  was  asking,  "  What  kind  of  roses  are  those  ?  "  His 
own  voice  sounded  far  away,  and  he  never  knew  what 
Marita  replied;  he  was  glad  when  Judge  and  Mrs. 
Burton  came  in,  for  he  could  not  have  spoken  to  her 
again  without  betraying  the  passion  surging  through 
him. 

Hamilton  often  wondered  how  he  got  through  that 
breakfast.  Certainly  he  was  most  thankful  to  Mrs. 
Burton,  who  relieved  him  of  a  morning  at  the  house  by 
suggesting  that  he  and  Marita  should  ride  down  to 
the  village  with  the  Judge,  who  never  used  a  carriage 
except  in  the  worst  weather. 

"  He  would  rather  be  soaked  on  a  horse  than 
cramped  in  a  wagon,"  he  said. 

While  Marita  executed  some  errands  for  her  mother, 
the  Judge  took  Hamilton  around  the  town,  and  as 
they  rode  through  the  main  residence  street,  they  met 
Doctor  Earle,  also  on  horseback.  He  was  superbly 
mounted,  and  wore  a  perfect  riding  costume.  For 
the  first  time  Grant  saw  him  in  a  good  light,  and 
though  he  was  not  surprised  to  find  the  Doctor  hand- 
some, a  queer  feeling  stole  over  him,  and  a  close  ob- 


44  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

server  might  have  seen  his  lips  tighten.  Of  course 
Earle  turned  about  and  rode  with  them — Hamilton 
knew  he  would  when  he  first  laid  eyes  on  him.  The 
Judge  designated  the  points  of  interest  as  they  passed 
through  the  village,  and  his  guest  tried  to  make  in- 
telligent observations,  while  he  was  wishing  with  all 
his  might  that  somebody  would  be  sick  enough  to 
need  that  doctor  before  they  joined  Marita;  but  the 
townspeople  seemed  to  be  provokingly  well  that  morn- 
ing, and  on  leaving  the  Judge,  after  meeting  Marita, 
they  were  still  a  party  of  three  instead  of  two,  as 
Hamilton  had  hoped.  He  thought  that  Scotchman 
knew  what  he  was  talking  about  when  he  made  the 
remark  as  to  "  the  best  laid  schemes  o'  mice  an'  men." 

As  they  rode  away  Hamilton  looked  back,  and  he 
fancied  that  Judge  Burton's  piercing  gray  eyes  fol- 
lowed his  daughter  uneasily.  Was  he  fearful  of  losing 
her?  Hamilton  saw  the  careworn  look  deepen  in  the 
kind  face,  and  his  own  grew  graver  as  he  glanced  at  the 
two  riding  a  little  ahead.  Quickening  his  pace,  he 
overtook  them  while  they  were  planning  a  ride  for 
the  coming  week.  Marita  turned  to  him,  saying: 

"  You  would  enjoy  a  canter  over  the  hills  and  din- 
ner at  a  quaint  old  inn,  wouldn't  you,  Mr.  Hamilton?  " 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  45 

"  It  sounds  delightful." 

"  Then  you  may  count  us  in  the  party,  Doctor;  and 
I  think  there  can  be  no  better  rendezvous  than  Lin- 
denhurst — it  is  a  convenient  distance  for  you  all,  and 
near  the  Ridge  Road." 

"  Yes,"  replied  Earle,  "  Lindenhurst  is  a  good  place 
— for  everything." 

Thinking  he  detected  an  unpleasant  emphasis  on  the 
last  two  words,  Hamilton  looked  at  the  Doctor,  who 
was  riding  on  the  other  side  of  Marita,  and  their  eyes 
met.  It  was  as  if  they  had  measured  swords. 

There  is  probably  nothing  in  the  world  that  puts 
a  man  on  his  mettle  as  the  presence  of  a  rival  does; 
however,  there  are  different  mettles.  The  Doctor  was 
a  brilliant  talker,  and  this  morning  he  kept  up  a  fire 
of  wit  and  wisdom  that  strongly  contrasted  with 
Grant's  quiet  words.  Indeed,  the  more  Earle  talked, 
the  less  Hamilton  said,  and  when  they  reached  home 
Marita  felt  as  if  she  had  witnessed  a  clever  display  of 
mental  gymnastics  executed  in  the  presence  of  a  spec- 
tator who  had  as  much  strength  as  the  performer,  but 
chose  to  use  it  differently. 

The  Doctor  was  on  the  Lindenhurst  side  of  the  road, 
and  as  they  neared  the  gate  he  gradually  led  his  horse 


46  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

a  little  in  advance.  Guessing  his  purpose,  Hamilton 
drew  in  his  rein,  and  as  Marita  passed  him,  wheeled 
his  horse  across  the  road,  sprang  to  the  ground  and 
was  at  her  side  to  assist  her  before  the  Doctor  had 
even  dismounted.  It  was  done  so  quickly  and  neatly 
that  Earle  couldn't  help  admiring  the  man,  though 
his  chagrin  deepened  when  he  saw  the  smile  Marita 
gave  Hamilton  as  he  lifted  her  down.  She  imme- 
diately turned  to  the  Doctor,  however,  and  asked  him 
to  come  in  to  luncheon.  He  did  so,  but  though  Ma- 
rita talked  with  him  even  more  than  with  Hamilton, 
he  couldn't  help  feeling  that  the  other  side  had  scored 
a  point,  and  when  he  left  Lindenhurst  early  in  the 
afternoon  his  humor  was  not  a  pleasant  one. 

As  for  Hamilton,  he  knew  he  was  unreasonably 
elated.  His  maneuver  had  been  a  trifling  thing, 
after  all,  and  yet,  he  had  succeeded  in  his  attempt, 
and  she  had  been  near  him — so  near — for  one  blessed 
instant.  He  lay  on  the  sofa  in  the  library  living  it 
over  and  over.  Almost  opposite  was  the  fireplace, 
blackened  by  the  smoke  arising  from  the  fires  of  many 
generations;  above  it  was  a  shelf,  adorned  with  sev- 
eral choice  bits  of  old  delft,  over  which  hung  an  ob- 
long mirror  in  a  frame  of  pale  dull  gold.  The  blinds 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  47 

were  closed,  and  the  room  had  the  cool  dimness  so 
grateful  in  summer. 

Hamilton  was  alone,  for  Mrs.  Burton  was  resting 
and  Marita  had  disappeared  soon  after  the  Doctor's 
departure.  His  attention  was  attracted  by  the  artis- 
tic arrangement  of  daisies  and  ferns  in  a  blue  jar  so 
placed  on  the  shelf  above  the  fireplace  that  they  re- 
flected their  grace  in  the  mirror.  Then  his  thoughts 
wandered  to  the  image  above  their  own  hearth  at 
home,  and  he  seemed  to  see  the  familiar  features  of 
Alexander  Hamilton  in  the  glass,  but  he  no  sooner 
saw  them  than  they  vanished,  for  Marita's  face  really 
appeared  in  the  mirror  as  she  entered  the  room  through 
the  hall  door  directly  opposite  the  fireplace.  Ham- 
ilton had  seen  his  ancestor  so  distinctly  that  the  in- 
cident, slight  as  it  was,  left  an  impression,  and  after- 
wards he  remembered  it  as  one  of  those  strange 
presages  that  baffle  analysis. 

"  I  hope  I  didn't  disturb  you,"  said  Marita,  when 
she  discovered  the  lounger. 

"  Oh,  no,"  he  answered.  "  I  was  not  sleeping — 
only  dreaming — trying  to  laze  away  a  slight  head- 
ache." 

"  You  are  not  accustomed  to  being  in  the  sun  so 


48  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

much,"  she  suggested,  moving  towards  the  piano  at 
the  other  end  of  the  room.  Without  further  remark 
she  quietly  uncased  her  violin  and  began  to  play.  It 
was  another  instance  of  her  womanly  tact — trusting 
to  her  intuition  that  music  would  be  soothing — and 
giving  so  simply  that  which  he  needed. 

Hamilton  never  knew  what  Marita  played  that 
afternoon;  he  heard  the  wave  of  melody  as  if  it  came 
from  spiritland,  so  absorbed  was  he  in  watching  the 
woman  he  loved;  yet  those  sounds  were  echoing 
through  him  far  into  the  night. 

It  must  have  been  an  hour  or  more  before  Marita 
laid  aside  her  violin,  and  crossing  over  to  Hamilton, 
asked  him,  as  he  had  asked  her  the  night  before: 

"  Is  it  quite  gone?  " 

He  looked  up  and  met  her  eyes. 

"  Yes,  entirely,"  he  answered,  as  she  had. 

The  remembrance  of  stars  was  between  them,  and 
the  consciousness  of  increasing  sympathy. 

"  I  am  glad,"  said  Marita,  crossing  over  to  the  low 
window.  She  unclosed  the  blinds  and  stepped  out  on 
the  balcony,  exclaiming: 

"  Oh!     Come  and  see  these  storm  clouds!  " 

Hamilton  lost  no  time  in  reaching  her  side,  and 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  49 

together  they  watched  the  great  black  mass  darken 
the  sky.  Up  from  behind  the  mountains  the  wind 
rose  like  a  demon,  sweeping  down  the  slope,  bending 
the  trees  and  tearing  off  leaves  in  its  fury.  Thunder 
rolled  from  hill  to  hill,  and  lightning  streaked  the  sky. 

"  I  glory  in  a  storm!  "  said  Marita,  her  eyes  shin- 
ing. 

"  Yes,  I  should  expect  you  to,"  replied  Hamilton 
thoughtfully. 

"  That  is  not  an  Italian  characteristic,  though." 

"  No,"  he  answered,  smiling;  "  and  yet,  absence  of 
fear  and  delight  in  the  untamed  elements  are  not  in- 
compatible with  the  '  uncheckable  something.'  " 

"  Did  you  choose  your  profession  because  of  your 
ability  to  carry  a  point?  " 

"  No,  indeed,"  he  said,  laughing,  then  added,  seri- 
ously. "  My  profession  was  never  chosen,  it  was  the 
natural  outcome  of  a  desire  that  grew  with  me  from 
the  cradle,  I  think.  As  I  look  back  upon  my  boy- 
hood, there  is  no  more  distinct  impression  of  those 
early  years  than  my  ambition  to  become  a  lawyer  as 
Alexander  Hamilton  was.  The  career  of  a  great  man 
often  has  a  direct  influence  upon  the  lives  of  his  de- 
scendents." 
4 


50  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  I  have  always  had  the  deepest  admiration  for  that 
man,"  Marita  said  earnestly.  "  His  intellect  was  so 
clear,  his  will  so  irresistible!  He  was  so  wonderful 
in  his  ability  to  foresee  results  and  order  affairs  ac- 
cordingly; and  then  for  a  man  to  rise,  as  he  did,  to  the 
highest  in  everything  he  attempted — it  was  superb!  " 

As  Hamilton  listened  to  these  words  his  hands 
tightened  on  the  railing  he  was  leaning  upon.  To 
hear  her  speak  thus  of  one  who  had  really  been  a 
power  in  his  life,  it  was  like  welding  a  bond  already 
strong.  He  longed  to  unburden  his  heart,  but  he 
knew  the  time  was  not  yet  come,  so,  though  wild  im- 
pulses struggled  within  him  and  he  dared  not  look  at 
Marita,  he  said  slowly  and  with  apparent  calmness: 

"  To  most  women  he  is  merely  a  man  who  was  killed 
in  a  famous  duel." 

"  Are  you  not  a  little  severe? " 

"  Possibly,  but " 

"  So  was  he,"  interrupted  Marita,  "  and  here  comes 
the  rain,  torrents  of  it!  " 


CHAPTEK   V 

TT  7HEN  Marita  awoke  on  the  morning  of  the 
horseback  excursion,  she  found  the  sunlight 
giving  every  promise  of  fair  weather.  She  was  very 
glad,  for  it  was  Hamilton's  last  day,  and  she  wanted 
it  to  be  a  pleasant  one.  They  were  to  start  soon  after 
breakfast,  so  Marita  dressed  for  the  ride,  fastening 
her  habit  with  the  satisfied  air  of  a  woman  who  knows 
her  costume  is  faultless  and  becoming.  She  was  con- 
scious of  a  thrill  of  excitement,  and  she  knew  it  was 
caused  by  something  more  than  the  anticipation  of 
an  enjoyable  trip. 

Hamilton  was  a  man  of  such  strong  passions  that, 
though  he  could  control  them,  he  could  not  entirely 
conceal  them.  Perhaps  he  did  not  try  to  hide  his 
love  for  Marita,  perhaps  he  wanted  her  to  see  it  and 
grow  accustomed  to  it,  before  he  expressed  in  words 
that  which  was  so  apparent  in  look  and  tone.  How- 
ever this  was,  she  knew  that  he  cared,  and  while  she 
hoped  he  would  not  speak  to-day,  and  was  determined 
to  prevent  him  if  possible,  yet,  realizing  that  Hamil- 


52  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

ton's  time  was  limited,  and  that  the  Doctor's  persist- 
ent devotion  always  exasperated  him,  she  felt  as  if 
the  air  was  electrified. 

Marita's  knowledge  of  the  world  was  unusual  for  a 
woman  of  twenty-six,  probably  because  there  is  no 
better  enlightener  than  experience  with  the  human 
heart.  She  knew  the  power  of  her  personal  magnet- 
ism, and  she  also  knew  that  the  charm  exercised  by 
this  quality  alone  seldom  stood  the  test  of  absence. 
Infatuation  is  a  poor  substitute  for  the  love  upon 
which  women  base  their  lives,  and  knowing  that  her 
happiness  depended  upon  Hamilton's  feeling  being 
nothing  less  than  love,  she  wanted  him  to  leave  her 
with  no  spoken  words  to  bind  him.  Then,  if  he  re- 
turned, she  would  put  her  trust  in  the  man  to  whom 
she  had  given  her  love. 

It  was  all  very  well  for  Marita  to  reason  so  clearly 
when  she  was  alone;  when  she  was  with  Hamilton  it 
was  quite  a  different  matter.  How  could  she  dis- 
criminate between  infatuation  and  love  when  he 
looked  into  her  eyes,  drawing  her  soul  into  his  and 
holding  it  there?  A  woman's  delight  in  such  absorp- 
tion is  all  the  greater  if  her  personality  is  a  strong 
one.  It  is  the  joy  of  giving  where  there  is  much  to 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  53 

give.  Marita  thought  of  this,  and  felt  that  it  would 
be  very  hard  to  ward  off  the  words  she  longed  to  hear, 
but  trusting  that  strength  would  come  when  the  need 
arose,  she  went  down  with  the  air  of  good-fellowship, 
which  is  the  hardest  of  all  things  for  a  lover  to  over- 
come. 

On  encountering  Hamilton  in  the  lower  hall  Marita 
dropped  him  a  mock  courtesy  to  avoid  meeting  his 
eyes,  which  were  full  of  fire. 

"  Come  and  pay  your  respects  to  Old  Sol,"  he  said, 
stepping  towards  the  veranda. 

"  Come  and  pay  yours  to  the  cook,"  she  returned 
saucily,  moving  in  the  opposite  direction,  and  quickly 
sliding  into  the  dining-room,  where  Mrs.  Burton  was 
placing  a  cut-glass  bowl  full  of  strawberries  on  a 
mass  of  their  fresh  green  leaves.  "  Oh,  isn't  that 
lovely!  " 

"  Do  you  like  it? "  asked  Mrs.  Burton  of  Marita, 
while  Hamilton,  who  had  followed  her,  replied: 

"  It  is  positively  a  work  of  art !  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Marita,  with  a  fond  look  at  her  dainty 
mother;  "  she  is  truly  artistic." 

"  Not  more  so  than  you  are,  my  dear." 

Marita  shook  her  head. 


54  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  If  I  have  any  artistic  sense  it  is  of  a  very  dif- 
ferent kind." 

"  As  different  as  French  and  Italian  art,"  suggested 
Hamilton. 

"  Italy  again?  "     Marita  raised  her  eyebrows. 

"  What's  that  about  Italy? "  asked  the  Judge,  en- 
tering the  room  as  his  daughter  spoke. 

"  Just  nonsense,"  answered  Marita.  "  Mr.  Ham- 
ilton delights  in  tracing  imaginative  Italian  elements 
in  my  composition  to  all  sorts  of  impossible  ends.  I 
suppose  it's  because  he  must  have  something  to  argue 
about,  and  since  his  real  cases  are  pigeon-holed  during 
his  vacation,  he  takes  a  fanciful  one." 

They  all  smiled  at  this  sally  except  the  Judge,  who 
looked  at  Hamilton  with  a  curious  expression  and  re- 
mained unusually  quiet  throughout  the  entire  meal. 

Before  they  had  finished  breakfast  Marita  saw  the 
party  from  town  coming  up  the  hill,  and  excusing  her- 
self went  out  on  the  veranda  to  meet  them ;  as  she  stood 
on  the  steps  waiting  for  them  to  dismount,  her  hand 
crushed  a  spray  of  wistaria,  and  she  saw  only  a  pair 
of  deep,  determined  eyes. 

When  Hamilton  appeared  he  was  presented  to  the 
pretty  Miss  Marvin,  with  social  ambitions,  and  Miss 


BECAUSE   of  POWER  55 

Andrews,  a  young  woman  who  wore  eyeglasses  and 
thought  she  was  brilliant  because  she  quoted  so  aptly 
from  Shakespeare.  The  gentlemen  of  the  party  con- 
sisted of  Doctor  Earle,  who  greeted  Hamilton  with  the 
cordiality  sometimes  bestowed  upon  those  we  are  least 
glad  to  see;  Norman  Rives,  an  artist  whose  work 
gave  promise  of  better  things;  and  Mr.  Bellenden,  a 
Harvard  graduate  who  had  carried  into  business  cir- 
cles the  cleverness  of  a  man  whose  knowledge  of  Greek 
and  Latin  grammar  is  far  greater  than  his  apprecia- 
tion of  Homer  and  Virgil. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  group  on  the  veranda 
hailed  the  arrival  of  the  chaperone,  Mrs.  Alison,  who 
rode  up  with  the  man  always  spoken  of  as  "  Mrs. 
Alison's  husband."  She  was  an  energetic  little  body, 
so  genuine  that  she  scorned  even  a  dash  of  powder, 
and  so  full  of  fun  that  she  insisted  on  riding  a  white 
horse  "  because  her  hair  was  so  awfully  red,  and  she 
did  love  to  humor  tradition." 

Hamilton  liked  her  immensely,  and  rode  with  her 
until  they  reached  a  wayside  spring,  several  miles 
from  Lindenhurst,  where  they  stopped  to  drink  the 
clear  cool  water  trickling  into  the  basin  of  moss-cov- 
ered stones.  From  this  point  they  could  see  the  river 


56  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

flowing  at  the  base  of  the  mountain,  far  below  them 
— and  in  the  distance,  beyond  the  ripening  fields,  a 
single  white  spire  rose  from  the  clustered  roofs  and 
tree-tops  of  a  village  among  the  hills. 

Marita  had  walked  her  horse  a  little  way  from  the 
others,  and  was  revelling  in  the  beauty  of  it  all.  Her 
delight  deepened  until  she  slightly  shook  her  head  as 
we  do  in  the  presence  of  something  so  fine  that  we 
long  to  absorb  it — and,  knowing  that  we  cannot,  al- 
most unconsciously  give  this  outward  sign  of  our  in- 
ability. Hamilton  watched  her,  and  every  pulse 
throbbed  as  he  looked.  "  Heavens,  how  that  woman 
could  love!  "  he  thought,  and  he  deliberately  rode  up 
to  her  side.  Before  either  one  of  them  spoke,  the 
Doctor  joined  them,  and  all  three  turned  to  follow 
the  others.  Hamilton  was  very  quiet  as  they  rode 
along;  indeed,  he  scarcely  heard  what  his  companions 
were  saying.  He  was  wondering  whether,  to-morrow 
this  time,  he  would  be  blessing  every  breath  he  drew, 
or  cursing  the  hour  he  was  born,  for  he  meant  to  open 
his  heart  to  Marita  before  he  went  away.  By  the  time 
they  reached  Farno's  Inn,  where  they  were  to  dine, 
Hamilton  was  so  divided  between  a  determination  that 
she  must  love  him  and  a  great  fear  that  she  didn't 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  57 

and  wouldn't,  that  he  was  not  in  an  enviable  state  of 
mind.  Desiring  to  regain  his  equilibrium,  he  left  the 
others  and  took  a  turn  down  the  road  alone. 

While  Hamilton  was  gone  Doctor  Earle  improved 
the  opportunity  of  talking  with  Marita,  who  was  rest- 
ing in  a  cool  corner  of  the  inviting  piazza.. 

"  Are  you  tired?  "  he  asked. 

"  A  little,"  she  answered,  "  just  a  pleasant  degree 
of  tiredness." 

"  It  was  a  delightful  ride,  and  this  place  is  certainly 
worth  coming  to." 

"  One  generally  thinks  so,  especially  after  dinner." 

"  Dinner!  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Alison,  coming  up  to 
them  in  time  to  catch  the  last  word.  "  That's  what 
we're  all  thinking  of,  and  dinner  in  this  place  is  so 
well  cooked  and  well  served  that  it's  something  to 
dream  of,  no  nightmare  either!  " 

"  I  don't  see  how  such  a  master  of  culinary  art  as 
Farno  is  ever  came  to  settle  in  this  out  of  the  way 
spot."  said  the  Doctor.  "  Why,  he  could  make  a  for- 
tune in  the  city." 

"  He  doesn't  starve  here,"  argued  Marita.  "  And 
perhaps  the  freedom  of  this  life  is  worth  more  to  him 
than  extra  dollars." 


58  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  Possibly,"  returned  Mrs.  Alison,  "  though  one 
doesn't  look  for  sentiment  in  cooks." 

"  I  believe,"  said  Marita,  "  that  something  fine 
underlies  every  personality  excelling  in  the  accom- 
plishment of  any  one  thing,  even  cooking." 

"  You  can  support  your  beliefs  altogether  too  well 
for  me  to  dispute  you,"  replied  Mrs.  Aliton,  half  hu- 
morously; then  glancing  around,  she  asked:  "  Where 
is  your  friend  Mr.  Hamilton?  He's  such  an  inter- 
esting talker!  " 

"Yes,  isn't  he?"  said  Marita,  trying  to  speak 
indifferently,  while  she  was  thrilling  as  every  woman 
does  when  the  man  she  loves  is  mentioned. 

"  I  have  seldom  met  a  man  who  had  more  to  say  or 
said  it  better.  I  like  him,  he  impresses  one  as  a  man 
of  great  character." 

"  I  should  say  rather  as  a  man  of  great  strength,  but 
questionable  control,"  remarked  the  Doctor  coolly. 

Marita  was  so  surprised  at  his  discourtesy — and  in- 
dignant, too,  for  she  felt  sure  he  knew  the  untruth 
of  his  criticism — that  she  could  not  reply  at  once. 
Mrs.  Alison  gave  the  Doctor  a  penetrating  look  as  she 
said: 

"  That  is  not  my  impression,  though  it  wouldn't  be 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  59 

strange  if  uncontrollable  impulses  were  found  in  a 
descendent  of  Alexander  Hamilton,  as  I  think  you 
said  he  was?  "  turning  to  Marita. 

"  Yes,  a  direct  descendent,"  she  replied  abruptly. 

"  I  don't  suppose  Alexander  Hamilton's  influence 
on  our  country  has  ever  been  fully  appreciated,"  con- 
tinued Mrs.  Alison,  scenting  something  unpleasant, 
and  thinking  it  best  to  do  the  talking  herself.  "  1 
remember  hearing  my  father  say  that  history  showed 
few  instances  where  such  great  results  had  been 
achieved,  without  money  and  influence,  solely  by  the 
might  of  one  man." 

While  Mrs.  Alison  was  speaking,  Marita  saw  Ham- 
ilton nearing  the  inn,  walking  slowly  and  switching 
the  roadside  weeds  with  a  stick  he  had  cut  and 
trimmed.  When  he  noticed  them  he  quickened  his 
pace,  and  as  he  came  down  the  piazza  Marita  thought 
she  had  never  heard  a  more  characteristic  tread,  it 
was  so  firm  and  steady;  as  he  approached,  Mrs.  Alison 
addressed  him: 

"  We  were  just  talking  of  your  famous  ances- 
tor." 

"  Alexander  Hamilton? " 

"  Yes,"  she  replied.     "  We  were  speaking  of  his 


60  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

wonderful  ability  to  achieve  things  in  the  face  of  ad- 
verse circumstances." 

"  Largely  due  to  his  power  of  concentration,"  re- 
turned Hamilton. 

"  Which  is  a  great  gift,"  Marita  added,  thinking 
she  knew  some  people  who  had  it. 

"  Well,"  said  the  Doctor,  "  the  man's  attainments 
were  remarkable  considering  all  he  had  to  contend 
with." 

Hamilton  hesitated  an  instant,  and  then  replied: 

"  Certainly  it  must  have  been  difficult  to  rise,  as  he 
did,  in  a  strange  country,  without  wealth  or  friends." 

"  No  career  is  easy  when  it  begins  with  uncertain 
parentage." 

As  Doctor  Earle  spoke  these  words  he  looked 
straight  at  the  man  he  insulted.  Hamilton,  who  was 
standing,  leaning  against  a  post,  never  moved  a  muscle, 
but  Marita  saw  the  color  leave  his  lips,  and  her 
heart  gave  a  great  bound,  realizing  how  much  he  was 
hurt. 

"Birth  is  the  one  thing  for  which  no  man  is  re- 
sponsible," said  Hamilton,  returning  the  Doctor's  look 
with  unflinching  eyes. 

Marita  could  scarcely  restrain  her  delight  in  his 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  61 

splendid  self-control.  She  found  it  difficult  to  con- 
tent herself  with  saying: 

"  True,  and  if  a  man  must  labor  under  the 
stigma  of  illegitimacy  his  success  should  be  doubly 
crowned!  " 

"  But,"  said  Mrs.  Alison,  "  as  I  understand  it,  no 
one  knows  the  real  truth  concerning  Alexander  Ham- 
ilton's birth." 

"  The  best  authorities,  I  believe,  consider  it  irregu- 
lar," replied  the  Doctor.  Hamilton  wondered  how 
much  longer  he  could  keep  his  hands  away  from  that 
man. 

"  Dinner  is  served,"  called  Mr.  Bellenden  from  the 
doorway,  where  the  rest  of  the  party  stood  waiting. 

Marita  rose,  and  stepping  towards  Hamilton  spoke 
with  a  tremor  in  her  voice. 

"  Will  the  gentleman  who  has  the  honor  to  be  de- 
pended from  Alexander  Hamilton  take  me  in  to  din- 
ner?" 

He  looked  into  the  loyal  brown  eyes,  and  forgot  to 
reply,  such  balm  did  he  find  in  their  depths.  He 
merely  inclined  his  head,  and  they  passed  into  the 
dining-room  together. 

After  dinner  they  all  started  for  Hunter's  Falls, 


62  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

leaving  the  road  a  short  distance  from  Farno's,  and 
turning  into  a  path  slippery  with  pine  needles  dropped 
from  the  branches  above.  Everywhere  were  the 
greens  and  browns  and  grays  of  the  woodland  softly 
blending  in  sunlight  and  shadow.  Ferns  and  blue- 
bells grew  on  the  rocks  wherever  the  lichens  gave 
them  a  lodging  place,  and  each  fallen  tree  was  a  riot- 
ing ground  for  some  vine.  They  followed  the  winding 
path  for  some  distance,  and  as  it  grew  steeper,  the 
sound  of  rushing  water  reached  them,  though  the  falls 
were  not  yet  in  sight. 

"  Hark!  "  said  Marita,  stopping  a  moment.  "  That's 
the  sweetest  music  in  all  the  world !  " 

"  Except  yours,"  returned  Hamilton,  speaking  in  a 
low  tone  full  of  tenderness. 

Oh,  how  Marita  longed  to  look  up  and  drink  from 
the  well  of  love  in  his  eyes;  but  she  only  gave  her 
head  a  little  shake,  and  raised  a  protesting  hand  as 
she  moved  up  the  path. 

When  they  had  viewed  the  falls  from  various  points, 
Mrs.  Alison  suggested  that  they  climb  up  one  side, 
which  was  rough  but  not  impassable,  and  see  how  the 
stream  looked  before  falling  its  foamy  length.  This 
proposition  was  greeted  with  delight,  and  while  the 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  63 

ladies  securely  pinned  their  habits,  Hamilton  went  on 
ahead  to  assure  himself  that  it  was  safe. 

"  It's  a  rather  hard  climb,  but  I  think  you  can  make 
it,"  he  called  back. 

The  other  gentlemen  assisted  the  ladies,  and  Ham- 
ilton remained  at  the  top  to  help  them  up  over  the 
hardest  place  of  all.  Just  below  the  rock  where  he 
stood  there  was  a  long  reach  with  no  possible  rest  for 
the  foot  except  a  clump  of  moss  and  small  ferns  grow- 
ing on  a  slight  projection.  When  Marita,  who  was 
the  last  lady  to  ascend,  placed  her  foot  on  this  spot, 
the  moss  and  dirt,  loosened  by  the  others,  gave  way, 
and  she  would  have  fallen  fifty  feet  if  Hamilton,  who 
held  both  of  her  hands,  had  not  thrown  himself  back 
and  pulled  her  over  the  edge.  Only  a  man  of  such 
strength  and  presence  of  mind  could  have  saved  her. 

"  So  awkward  of  me,"  said  Marita,  not  realizing 
how  great  the  danger  had  been.  Nobody  replied,  and 
glancing  from  one  to  another  she  saw  a  terror  in 
every  face,  and  in  Hamilton's  eyes  a  look  she  never 
forgot. 

"Ye  gods!  "  exclaimed  the  Doctor,  as  he  scrambled 
up  over  a  different  rock.  "  That  was  a  narrow 
escape!  " 


64  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

Marita  looked  at  Hamilton.  He  stood  perfectly 
still,  almost  rigid.  His  face  was  white  and  tense. 

"  You  saved  my  life." 

"  Don't,"  he  said,  drawing  back  as  if  afraid  she 
would  thank  him. 

"  No,"  she  answered,  understanding  what  he  meant, 
and  adding  almost  in  a  whisper,  "  Only — I'm  so  glad 
it  was  you  at  the  top." 

Then  feeling  she  had  said  quite  enough,  Marita 
turned  aside,  brushing  off  her  habit. 

They  went  down  by  another  passage,  which  proved 
safer,  and  the  homeward  trip  was  made  without  fur- 
ther incident.  It  was  late  when  they  reached  Lin- 
denhurst,  tired  and  quite  ready  for  the  tempting  sup- 
per Mrs.  Burton  had  prepared  for  the  party.  To  Ma- 
rita and  Hamilton  that  meal  seemed  interminable; 
but  when  the  last  guest  had  ridden  away,  instead  of 
seeking  an  opportunity  to  speak  with  her  alone  as  she 
hoped  he  would,  for  she  was  ready  to  waive  her  reso- 
lution of  the  morning,  Hamilton  said  to  Mrs.  Burton 
and  Marita,  as  they  stood  together  on  the  steps: 

"  If  you'll  excuse  me,  I  think  I'll  take  a  last  look 
at  the  river." 

And  saying  goo'd-night  he  left  them  standing  there. 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  65 

Marita  went  up  to  her  room,  and  throwing  the  blinds 
wide  open,  dropped  on  the  floor  by  the  window  and 
looked  out  into  the  night.  Slowly  the  waning  moon 
rose  behind  the  mountains,  shedding  its  light  over  the 
tops  of  trees  and  casting  weird  shadows  around  the 
house.  No  bird  nor  insect  raised  a  note.  Through 
the  stillness  Marita  heard  the  muffled  sound  of  her 
heart,  throbbing  out  its  pain. 

"  Why,  why,  why? "  it  said.  Then  suddenly  it 
ceased  to  question,  for  it  knew.  With  passionate 
certainly  she  clasped  her  hands;  surely — surely  he 
would  not  ask  for  her  love  the  day  he  had  saved  her  life ! 
She  worshipped  him  for  his  silence;  she  knew  that 
this  was  not  the  spirit  of  infatuation,  and  in  her  joy 
she  whispered  over  and  over: 

"  Some  other  time — some  other  time!  " 
5 


CHAPTER   VI 

/^\N  a  Saturday  afternoon  late  in  August,  Hamilton 
entered  a  parlor  car  in  the  Erie  Depot  at  Jer- 
sey City,  with  a  step  which  matched  his  heart  in  light- 
ness. He  was  going  to  attend  a  house  party  at  Tuxedo 
— and  Marita  would  be  among  the  guests. 

Since  leaving  Lindenhurst,  Hamilton  had  paid  fre- 
quent visits  to  the  book  shops,  while  certain  Broadway 
florists  and  music  dealers  had  grown  to  look  upon  him 
as  a  regular  customer.  Of  course  such  favors  were 
duly  acknowledged  by  Marita,  and  through  these  let- 
ters— for  he  received  more  than  notes  of  thanks — he 
learned  that  she,  also,  would  be  at  Chester  Towers  to- 
night. Full  of  anticipation,  he  settled  himself  in  his 
chair,  pleased  with  the  perfection  of  the  violets  packed 
away  in  his  dress-suit  case,  and  feeling  that  this  world 
is  a  very  good  place  to  live  in. 

Across  the  aisle  sat  a  boy  with  one  of  those  thor- 
oughly alive  faces  that  always  attract  attention.  He 
was  about  thirteen,  and  evidently  starting  on  his  first 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  67 

journey  alone;  as  the  train  began  to  move  Hamilton 
heard  the  boy's  mother  say  from  the  platform: 

"  Don't  forget  to  telegraph  just  as  soon  as  you  get 
there." 

"  I  won't,"  and  he  waved  his  cap  out  of  the  window. 

Hamilton  thought  he'd  like  to  talk  to  a  boy  with 
such  snappy  eyes,  so  after  they  had  passed  through 
the  tunnel  he  ventured  to  remark: 

"  Nice  day  to  travel." 

i 

"  Fine,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Are  you  off  on  a  vacation  trip?  " 

"  Going  to  my  grandfather's.  He's  got  a  dandy 
farm  up  in  Orange  County." 

"  Let's  hear  about  it,"  taking  an  unoccupied  chair 
next  to  the  boy;  then,  knowing  it  would  please  him, 
Hamilton  opened  a  leather  case  and  offered  him  a  card. 
The  young  face  glowed  with  pleasure  at  this  treat- 
ment, and  Hamilton  was  immediately  presented  with 
a  pasteboard,  cleaner  than  might  be  expected,  on  which 
he  read  : 


Ealph  Chisholm,  Jr. 


68  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"I  think  I  know  your  father.  Isn't  he  a  lawyer 
with  an  office  in  the  Equitable  Building?  " 

"  You  bet  he  is!     Do  you  really  know  him?  " 

"  I've  heard  him  argue  cases  in  court — you  see  I'm 
a  lawyer,  too." 

"Say,  isn't  this  jolly!" 

"I  think  so,"  said  Hamilton,  who  was  much  inter- 
ested. "  I'd  like  to  hear  about  that  farm." 

"Nicest  place  I  know  of!"  exclaimed  Ralph. 
"  They've  got  five  dogs  up  there  and  a  pony  that  can 
beat  anything — she  goes  like  the  wind!  " 

"  Do  they  let  you  ride  her?  " 

"  Only  when  Uncle  Bob  goes  along;  but  I  tell  you 
we  make  him  hustle  to  keep  up!  " 

"  I  fancy  you  do,"  said  Hamilton. 

"Yes  sir!  And  you  ought  to  have  seen  him  the 
day  I  chased  the  hens  with  rotten  eggs!  My,  wasn't 
he  mad! " 

Hamilton  laughed  over  this  instance  of  the  irony  of 
fate,  and  asked  Ralph  if  the  fishing  was  good  near  the 
farm. 

"  Bully  fishing — we  get  bass  in  the  river,  and  go 
up  the  brook  for  trout.  It's  great  fun,  unless  you 
tumble  into  the  water  and  get  your  lunch  all  wet,  like 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  69 

i 

I  did  one  day.  I  didn't  mind  the  soaking,  but  the 
grub  was  no  good,  and  it  takes  the  edge  off  your  sport 
when  you're  hungry." 

"I  should  think  so."  replied  Hamilton  sympathet- 
ically. 

Ralph  chatted  on  about  his  various  exploits,  and 
Hamilton  listened  with  amusement,  saying  just  enough 
to  keep  the  boy  going.  They  were  about  five  miles 
from  Tuxedo,  and  Ralph  was  recounting  a  hairbreadth 
escape  on  the  pony,  when  suddenly  the  train  came  to  a 
standstill.  Everybody  waited  quietly  for  a  moment 
or  two;  then  people  began  craning  their  necks  out  of 
the  windows  to  see  what  had  happened,  and  a  few  of 
the  men  left  the  car.  The  conductor  passed  through, 
and  Hamilton  asked  him  the  cause  of  the  stop. 

"  Freight  train  jumped  the  track  ahead  of  us." 

"  How  long  will  it  keep  us  here  ?  " 

"  Hard  to  tell — probably  a  couple  of  hours  or  more." 

Two  hours  or  more!  That  meant  hurrying  into  his 
dress  suit,  dinnerless,  while  other  men  were  dancing 
with  Marita,  and  the  violets  would  hide  their  beauty 
in  a  box  instead  of  gracing  her  gown  as  he  had  hoped. 
It  was  really  too  bad,  but  what  could  he  do?  Then,  in 
the  midst  of  his  perplexities,  it  occurred  to  Hamilton 


70  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

that  he  could  easily  walk  it  and  reach  there  yet  in  time 
for  dinner;  of  course,  why  didn't  he  think  of  that  be- 
fore? When  he  rose  to  his  feet,  Ralph  eagerly  asked: 

"  May  I  go  with  you  to  see  the  wreck? " 

"  See  here,  youngster,  how  far  do  you  go?  " 

"  To  Greycourt." 

"  Will  somebody  meet  you?  " 

"  Oh,  sure !  Uncle  Bob'll  be  there,  crosser'n  two 
sticks  if  the  train's  late.  Where  you  goin'  ?  " 

"  Tuxedo,"  said  Hamilton  rather  abruptly. 

"  We're  not  far  from  there,  are  we?  " 

"  Only  about  five  miles." 

"  You  could  hoof  that,  couldn't  you?  " 

"  Yes,  I  could.     But  I  don't— think— I  will." 

"  I'm  awfully  glad! "  Ralph  said  with  so  much 
earnestness  that  Hamilton  couldn't  regret  his  decision 
to  stay  with  the  young  fellow  who  would  have  such  a 
lonely  wait  if  he  left  him.  It  was  characteristic  of 
Hamilton  that  if  he  once  made  up  his  mind  to  do  a 
thing,  he  did  it  as  well  as  possible;  having  decided  that 
he  ought  to  remain  with  the  boy,  he  resolved  to  turn  the 
delay  into  a  good  time — for  Ralph.  Still,  Hamilton 
was  human,  and  the  thought  of  those  violets  made  it 
very  hard  to  say: 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  71 

"  Come  on  now,  we'll  take  a  look  at  that  wreck." 
As  they  walked  along  the  side  of  the  track  Hamil- 
ton heard  a  man,  who  had  been  sitting  in  their  car, 
say  to  the  conductor,  "  I'll  make  Tuxedo  long  before 
you  do,"  and  watched  him  start  off  at  a  brisk  trot.  It 
required  some  effort  to  give  his  attention  to  Ralph, 
especially  when  he  saw  what  a  pile  of  debris  must  be 
removed  before  their  train  could  pass,  and  realized 
that  it  would  take  fully  two  hours,  if  not  more. 
However,  he  devoted  himself  to  showing  the  boy  all 
there  was  to  be  seen  and  explaining  things  as  well  as 
he  could. 

"  What  do  you  say  to  hunting  up  some  supper?  " 
"  I  don't  mind,"  said  Ralph,  with  a  grin,  wondering 
how  Mr.  Hamilton  knew  so  well  what  boys  would  like. 
They  started  up  a  country  road  in  search  of  some 
farm-house,  and  after  passing  one  where  an  irate 
woman  answered  their  polite  inquiry  by  saying,  "  I 
don't  keep  no  lunch  counter  goin',"  they  found  a 
charming  old  place  with  a  well  in  the  front  yard,  and 
huge  elms  shading  a  latticed  porch,  where  a  lame  little 
girl  sat  beside  her  mother.  Hamilton  explained  their 
predicament,  and  they  were  graciously  asked  to  sit 
down  while  the  woman  prepared  some  food.  She 


72  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

soon  reappeared,  bearing  a  tray  laden  with  cold  chicken, 
biscuits,  sliced  peaches  and  cream.  Placing  this  feast 
between  them  on  the  board  seat,  they  "  had  lots  of  fun 
eating  up  their  appetites,"  as  Ralph  expressed  it. 

Hamilton  knew  that  this  woman,  who  impressed  him 
as  one  longing  for  higher  things,  of  which,  perhaps, 
'she  had  only  a  dim  conception,  would  take  no  pay,  so 
he  handed  her  one  of  his  business  cards,  saying: 

"  My  services  are  always  at  your  command." 

Courtesy  rarely  came  into  her  life,  and  she  was  as 
much  pleased  as  she  would  have  been  insulted  if  he 
had  offered  her  money.  As  he  went  out  of  the  gate 
he  turned  and  lifted  his  hat  once  more,  making  a  men- 
tal note  to  express  a  box  of  books  to  that  lame  child 
as  soon  as  he  returned  to  New  York. 

The  sun  was  getting  low,  and  the  walk  back  to  the 
wreck  would  have  been  delightful  if  Hamilton  had 
not  been  thinking  unspeakable  things  about  that 
abominable  freight  train;  but  Ralph  never  guessed 
that  there  was  any  disturbance  in  his  companion's 
mind — he  thought  Mr.  Hamilton  told  the  best  stories, 
and  was  altogether  the  j oiliest  man  he  knew;  indeed, 
he  was  almost  sorry  when  their  train  actually  started, 
though  to  Hamilton  there  had  never  been  a  more 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  73 

welcome  sound  than  the  first  creak  of  those  moving 
wheels. 

When  they  rolled  into  the  hill-girt  station  at  Tuxedo, 
nearly  three  hours  late,  Hamilton  bade  Ralph  good-by, 
promising  to  telegraph  his  father  that  the  train  was 
delayed,  but  all  safe. 

The  beauties  of  Tuxedo  Park  did  not  delight  Hamil- 
ton as  much  as  the  speed  of  the  horses  that  bowled  the 
carriage  over  the  smooth  roads  at  a  rate  satisfying  even 
to  a  belated  lover.  By  the  time  he  reached  Chester 
Towers  the  gay  party  in  the  dining  hall  had  finished 
the  game  course;  while  they  were  occupied  with  salad 
and  dessert  Hamilton  quickly  changed  his  clothing, 
though  when  he  was  announced  to  the  company  linger- 
ing over  the  cordials,  his  perfect  evening  attire 
showed  no  signs  of  haste. 

Lawrence  Chester  rose  and  welcomed  his  guest  with 
the  winning  cordiality  which  so  endeared  him  to  his 
friends.  After  the  greetings  and  presentations  were 
over,  Hamilton  explained  his  late  arrival  and  said  that 
he  had  dined,  thinking  of  the  contrast  between  that 
simple  tray  and  this  table,  furnished  with  Tiffany's 
best.  The  butler  drew  out  the  vacant  chair  and  Ham- 
ilton seated  himself,  wondering  how  he  could  keep  a 


74  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

level  head  with  Marita  sitting  almost  opposite  looking 
like  that!  He  had  never  seen  her  in  evening  dress 
before,  and  the  pale  green  gown  she  wore  enhanced 
her  coloring  to  the  bewilderment  of  poor  Hamilton, 
who  was  lost  in  admiration  of  the  creamy  skin  and 
bronze  waves.  It  has  been  said  that  love  is  a  great 
beautifier;  however  it  may  be,  it  seemed  to  Hamilton 
that  each  line  of  Marita's  face  had  softened — that 
something  had  lent  a  bewitching  charm  to  every  fea- 
ture. Though  her  large  mouth  and  irregular  nose 
must  always  prevent  her  from  being  called  a  beauty, 
she  was,  without  question,  the  most  distingue  woman 
present.  It  was  maddening  to  watch  the  turn  of  her 
head,  so  exquisitely  poised  on  shoulders  that — well, 
he  had  to  look  at  some  one  else. 

As  he  glanced  around  the  table,  he  recognized  in 
one  of  the  gentlemen  to  whom  he  had  just  been  pre- 
sented, the  man  who  told  the  conductor  that  he  would 
reach  Tuxedo  before  the  train  did.  Hamilton  was 
just  thinking  that  it  was  well  he  didn't  know  that  man 
was  also  bound  for  Chester  Towers,  when  his  host 
remarked: 

"  Well,  Hamilton,  this  is  the  first  time  I  have  ever 
had  occasion  to  question  your  energy.  Norton,  here, 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  75 

walked  five  miles,  and  knowing  you  were  on  the  same 
train,  we  supposed  you  would  do  likewise.  He  never 
walks — except  around  the  golf  links — and  you're  a 
regular  tramp." 

"  I  would  have  done  so  had  it  not  been  for  my 
traveling  companion." 

"  She  must  have  been  awfully  attractive,"  drawled 
out  one  of  those  men,  not  by  any  means  rare,  who 
seem  to  enjoy  being  social  blights. 

"  My  companion  was  not  a  lady,"  returned  Hamil- 
ton with  as  little  asperity  as  possible  under  such  provo- 
cation. 

"  I  can  vouch  for  the  truth  of  that  statement,"  inter- 
posed Mr.  Norton,  who  appeared  to  be  very  much  of 
a  gentleman.  "  Mr.  Hamilton  was  devoting  himself  to 
a  young  boy." 

"  Some  one  put  in  your  charge? "  Lawrence  Ches- 
ter asked. 

"  No,  not  even  that  for  an  excuse.  Just  a  little  chap 
taking  his  first  trip  alone." 

"  And  you  turned  that  long  wait  into  a  lark  for  him 
— it's  just  like  you,"  said  Mr.  Chester,  adding  heartily: 
"  Ladies  and  gentlemen,  fill  your  glasses;  we  drink  to 
the  health  of  Grant  Hamilton." 


76  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

Marita  could  scarcely  swallow,  but  she  drained  her 
glass,  and  over  its  brim  Hamilton  caught  a  look  more 
intoxicating  than  champagne.  She  was  so  proud  of 
him,  so  happy  in  his  presence,  so  radiant  in  the  surety 
of  his  love;  all  this,  and  more,  he  saw  in  that  glance. 
They  were  both  glad  when  Mrs.  Chester  rose,  and  the 
ladies  left  the  gentlemen  to  their  cigars. 

Marita  went  straight  to  her  room — she  must  have  a 
few  moments  alone.  The  lights  were  lowered,  and  at 
first  she  did  not  see  the  box  of  violets  which  Hamil- 
ton had  dispatched  by  a  maid  before  he  went  down. 
She  went  to  the  open  window,  but  the  night  air  failed 
to  cool  her  hot  cheeks,  and  turning  to  bathe  them,  she 
saw  the  box  on  her  dressing-table.  "With  eager  fingers 
she  untied  the  ribbons,  and  burying  her  face  in  the 
purple  fragrance,  Marita  kissed  those  violets  again 
and  again.  Drawing  a  long  breath  of  delight,  she 
raised  her  head  and  noticed  his  card,  on  which  was 
written: 

"  Will  you  wear  them?  " 

Would  she  wear  them!  Ah,  how  quickly  the  lights 
went  up,  and  how  carefully  those  violets  were  fast- 
ened, high  on  the  shoulder  and  over  the  breast  glow- 
ing with  passionate  joy.  She  smiled  at  the  reflection 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  77 

in  the  mirror,  knowing  how  the  harmony  of  gown  and 
garniture  would  please  him,  and  her  face  burned  more 
than  ever  as  she  went  to  join  the  ladies  below. 

When  Hamilton  entered  the  drawing-room,  he 
looked  for  the  slender  figure  in  green,  hoping  to  see 
the  added  touch  of  purple,  yet  scarcely  expecting  that 
she  would  find  the  flowers  until  the  evening  was  over; 
but  she  had  found  them — she  wore  them — and  as  he 
approached  her,  the  light  in  her  eyes  was  to  him  as  a 
beacon  to  the  mariner. 

"  Your  violets  are  not  as  fresh  as  they  would  have 
been—" 

"  I  like  them  all  the  better  for  that  delay — and 
thank  you  so  much." 

Hamilton  hoped  that  Marita  would  continue  talk- 
ing, but  she  was  not  in  a  conversational  mood,  so  he 
finally  remarked: 

"  It  is  fortunate  for  me  that  dinner  here  was  so 
late — I'm  in  time  for  the  first  dance  after  all." 

"  You  like  to  open  the  ball?  " 

"  Yes,  to-night  I  do."  Then,  as  he  heard  the 
strains  of  a  waltz  and  saw  Mrs.  Chester  rising,  he 
said,  "  Will  you  honor  me?  " 

"With  pleasure,"  she  replied;  and  they  followed 


78  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

the  others  through  the  great  hall  hung  with  armor, 
past  the  library  and  music-room,  into  the  beautiful 
pink  and  white  ballroom. 

Hamilton  had  been  thinking  of  this  dance  ever 
since  he  learned  that  Marita  would  be  here,  and  when 
he  drew  her  into  the  rhythmic  circles  it  was  like  realiz- 
ing a  dream.  Their  dancing  was  perfect  harmony  of 
motion;  swaying  with  the  same  strain,  gliding  together 
with  the  music,  they  knew  that  their  hearts  were 
united  as  completely  as  their  steps. 

It  was  late  before  they  had  another  dance  together, 
for  Marita  was  in  great  demand,  and  Hamilton  was 
too  well-bred  to  neglect  the  other  ladies;  but  at  last 
he  led  her  out  again — once  more  he  felt  her  lithe 
figure  yielding  to  his  guidance;  once  more  he  held  the 
woman  he  loved,  and  her  nearness  thrilled  him  until 
everything  grew  dim,  and  then  they  found  themselves 
out  in  the  starlight — alone. 

"  Marita? "  he  whispered,  opening  his  arms. 

"  Yes,"  she  breathed,  and  their  lips  met. 


CHAPTER    VII 

"  "V^OU  knew  I  loved  you  when  I  was  at  Linden- 
hurst?" 

"  Yes,"  in  a  low  tone. 

"  And  you  knew  why  I  did  not  speak  before  I  left  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  still  lower. 

"  Speak  to  me,  dear.     Tell  me  how  glad  you  are." 

"  Oh,  I  am  glad — so  glad !  This  tells  you,"  and 
bending  towards  Hamilton  as  he  lay  on  the  ground 
at  her  feet,  she  drew  his  head  into  her  arms,  laying 
her  lips  upon  his. 

They  had  slipped  away,  as  lovers  will,  and  were 
spending  the  morning  beside  a  brook  overhung  with 
trees,  so  in  harmony  with  the  quiet  spirit  of  the  day 
of  rest  that  the  leaves  hung  almost  motionless,  not  even 
stirring  enough  to  rustle.  Except  when  a  squirrel 
scampered  through  the  underbrush  or  a  bird  trilled 
out  a  song,  the  only  sound  was  the  gurgle  of  the  water 
rippling  over  the  stones.  Nature  seemed  to  smile  at 
them,  saying :  "  Be  content ;  all  is  well."  And  they 
were  content — happy  with  the  happiness  that  comes 


8o  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

but  once  in  life,  joyful  with  the  joy  of  loving  as  only 
man  and  woman — not  youth  and  maiden — can  love. 
Both  had  known  that  exquisite  flower  of  the  heart 
called  first  love;  and  both  knew  that  this  later  bloom 
was  far  richer,  deeper,  more  precious.  Looking  into 
each  other's  eyes,  they  read  a  fair  promise  of  the  future 
— they  saw  there  the  completion  of  love  so  satisfying 
to  the  mature  heart.  Trust  in  each  other,  soul  kinship 
with  each  other  and  passion  for  each  other — this  was 
their  creed. 

"  Marita,"  said  Hamilton,  "  tell  me  when  you  began 
to  care  ?  Do  you  know  ?  " 

"  I  think  I  cared  from  the  very  first,  but  I  wasn't 
conscious  of  any  attraction  towards  you  until  that  night 
when  you  understood  me  so  perfectly — when  we  were 
standing  under  the  stars  and  you  said,  l  look  up.'  Do 
you  remember  ? " 

"  I  remember  everything  that  happened,  dear ;  and 
it  was  the  very  next  morning  that  a  positive  deter- 
mination to  make  you  my  wife  rose  out  of  the  indefinite 
longings  which  had  been  stirring  ever  since  the  first 
time  I  heard  you  play.  Your  violin  was  the  key  that 
unlocked  my  heart;  it  also  told  me  that  the  love  of  a 
woman  who  could  abandon  herself  so  completely  to  the 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  81 

passion  of  music  would  be — as  sweet  as  it  is,"  and  his 
voice  sank  into  a  whisper  as  he  drew  her  face  down  to 
his. 

"  That,"  she  said,  after  a  happy  pause,  "  is  one  of 
my  Italian  characteristics." 

"  Even  so,"  he  replied.  "  The  Italian  women  can 
love.  You  have  their  strength  of  passion,  and  higher 
attributes  they  seldom  possess." 

"  I  don't  know;  I  only  know  I  love  you." 

"  God  bless  you !  "  he  said  fervently.  Then,  looking 
up  with  ardent,  pleading  eyes,  he  clasped  her  hands  in 
his,  saying  slowly : 

"  Marita,  you'll  not  keep  me  waiting  long?  " 

"  No,"  she  stammered.     "  I— I— couldn't." 

"  Ah,"  he  exclaimed,  springing  to  his  feet  and  lift- 
ing her  up  in  his  arms,  "  there  is  no  one  like  you ! 
What  a  wife  you  will  make,  you  perfect  woman !  " 

Throwing  her  head  back,  Marita  said  in  her  piquant 
way: 

"  Now,  how  can  you  say  that,  with  my  big  mouth 
and  crooked  nose  right  before  you  ? " 

"  Your  nose  isn't  crooked,  it's  only  irregular ;  and 
what  if  your  mouth  is  large?  That's  only  so  much 

more  sweetness.     Besides,  you  know  very  well  that  I 
6 


82  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

didn't  mean  features  when  I  said  you  were  a  perfect 
woman.  I  meant  the  you,  the  rich  personality,  the 
something  that  throbs  in  your  music  and  shines  out  of 
your  eyes  and  makes  me  the  happiest  man  alive !  " 

"  Dearest,"  she  said,  with  an  ecstatic  little  gesture 
expressive  of  the  delight  a  woman  feels  when  the  great- 
ness of  a  man's  joy  in  her  is  acknowledged.  Then, 
after  a  thoughtful  moment,  she  looked  up  at  him  seri- 
ously, saying:  "Father  will  be  happy,  too;  he  likes 
you  so  much." 

"  Yes,  I  think  he  does;  but  he  will  be  very  loth  to 
resign  you,  even  to  me,"  and  Hamilton  thought  of  the 
Judge's  singular  devotion  to  his  daughter.  Perhaps 
it  was  the  babble  of  the  brook,  so  like  the  one  they 
had  fished  together,  that  recalled  to  his  mind  the  day 
in  the  woods  when  Judge  Burton  had  revealed  the 
existence  of  some  trouble  from  which  he  longed  to 
escape.  It  pained  Hamilton  to  think  of  how  that 
kindly  face,  so  seared  with  inner  struggles,  would  sad- 
den when  Marita  left  her  home,  and  he  resolved  to  be 
the  tenderest,  most  devoted  son  a  man  could  ask  for. 
Some  day  he  might  know  what  the  trouble  was;  and 
then  how  he  would  sympathize,  how  he  would  comfort 
the  man  who  had  comforted  so  many  others ! 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  83 

"  I  wonder  what  you  are  thinking  of  ?  "  asked  Marita. 
"  Not  you,  for  once,  but  your  father." 
Then,  as  they  moved  slowly  along  the  bank,  it  oc- 
curred to  him  as  a  little  odd  that  the  father  should 
have  been  uppermost  in  the  minds  of  both.  Why  had 
neither  one  of  them  considered  the  mother?  Was  it 
because  she  was  such  a  quiet  little  body  that  one  was 
scarcely  aware  of  her  presence  until  reminded  of  it  by 
some  gentle  word  ?  Or  was  it  because  the  Judge  mani- 
fested his  love  for  Marita  with  such  intensity  that  her 
mother's  less  ardent  love  was  overshadowed?  Ham- 
ilton felt  that  in  his  own  case  it  was  because  Marita 
had  so  many  of  her  father's  characteristics,  so  few  of 
her  mother's,  and  his  thought  naturally  turned  to  the 
one  who  had  been  the  strongest  element  in  her  life. 
As  for  Marita,  he  knew  perfectly  well  that  while  she 
had  the  deepest  affection  for  her  mother,  there  was  no 
such  bond  between  them  as  that  which  held  father  and 
daughter.  Indeed,  it  had  not  taken  Hamilton  long  to 
discover  that  Mrs.  Burton  had  little  sympathy  with 
and  slight  comprehension  of  Marita's  intense  nature, 
and  it  was  equally  plain  that  while  Marita  recognized 
her  mother's  fine  qualities  she  also  knew  the  limitations 
of  her  sweet  disposition. 


84  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

Such  thoughts  vaguely  passed  through  Hamilton's 
mind,  but  were  soon  lost  in  the  happiness  of  "  talking 
it  over  "  as  they  followed  the  stream,  picking  their 
way  over  stones  and  wet  places,  or  sat  in  the  shade 
thinking  of  nothing  but  each  other.  So  the  morning 
passed,  and  when  they  reached  the  Towers,  just  in 
time  for  luncheon,  it  was  with  the  feeling  that  how- 
ever great  their  future  joys  might  be,  they  would  sel- 
dom live  through  such  unclouded  hours  again. 

A  driving  party  had  been  planned  for  the  afternoon, 
and  this,  with  music  in  the  evening,  prevented  any 
further  talk  alone. 

When  they  all  gathered  in  the  music  room,  Hamil- 
ton stood  in  the  doorway  and  watched  Marita  take  up 
her  violin,  feeling  that  she  would  play  as  she  never 
had  played  before.  She  was  dressed  all  in  white  to- 
night, her  only  ornament  a  star  of  pearls.  The  soft, 
silken  crepe,  exquisitely  made,  clung  to  her  graceful 
figure,  and  when  she  raised  her  arm  and  rested  her 
chin  on  the  Cremona  she  made  a  picture  every  man  in 
the  room  admired,  and  most  of  the  women  envied. 
Slowly  the  notes  rose,  as  if  summoned  from  a  spirit 
reluctantly  giving  up  its  treasures,  then  gradually  they 
melted  into  passionate  strains  voicing  the  very  life  of 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  85 

that  spirit  now  abandoning  itself  to  the  joy  of  expres- 
sion. Hamilton  was  right;  Marita  had  never  played 
like  this  before.  He  knew  that  every  tone  was  a  call 
from  her  heart  to  his,  and  he  longed  to  answer,  longed 
to  cry  out,  "  Yes,  love,  I  hear  you,  and  am  with  you 
always  ";  but  he  only  folded  his  arms  across  his  breast, 
though  the  tightness  of  the  folding  made  them  ache. 

Marita  laid  down  her  violin  amid  a  storm  of  the 
noisy  applause  she  hated.  Her  eyes  sought  Hamilton's 
over  the  heads  between  them;  he  gave  a  nod  that  said, 
"  I  understood,"  and  she  replied  with  a  smile  which 
meant,  "  That  is  all  I  care  for." 

A  little  group  gathered  around  Marita,  and  as  Ham- 
ilton crossed  the  room  to  join  it  Mr.  Chester  was  say- 
ing: 

"Miss  Burton,  you  belong  to  the  only  aristocracy 
worth  considering — the  aristocracy  of  genius." 

"  Hark !  "  said  Marita  with  the  comic  air  of  solemnity 
she  could  assume  so  well.  "  Methinks  I  can  hear  your 
long  line  of  ancestors  stirring  in  their  graves." 

"  Some  of  them  the  biggest  rascals  that  ever  lived ! 
Xo;  I  take  no  stock  in  an  aristocracy  founded  on  mere 
pedigree.  I'd  rather  have  one  distinguished  forefather 
than  a  dozen  of  the  ordinary  kind;  and  I'd  rather  have 


86  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

one  spark  of  genius  in  Lawrence  Chester  than  any 
number  of  famous  ancestors." 

"  Your  creed,  then,  is  that  of  individual  worth," 
Hamilton  remarked. 

"  Most  decidedly.  It  is  the  only  true  standard  in  a 
world  of  shams." 

"  I  agree  with  you,"  replied  Hamilton,  admiring 
Chester  more  than  ever. 

"  Yet  you  have  family  connections  to  be  most  proud 
of,"  said  Mr.  Norton  reflectively. 

"  Very  true,"  Hamilton  answered ;  "  but  to  me  the 
character  of  Alexander  Hamilton  is  of  greater  im- 
portance than  the  fact  that  he  was  the  twenty-seventh 
in  a  line  which  numbers  many  earls  and  dukes." 

"That's  it  exactly,"  Chester  exclaimed.  "The 
character  of  a  man  like  Alexander  Hamilton  is  a 
grand  inheritance  far  excelling  the  value  of  landed 
titles;  though  even  that  is  subordinate  to  the  force 
that  makes  Grant  Hamilton's  name  a  power  in  the 
courts." 

"  No  depreciation  of  Mr.  Hamilton's  ability,"  said 
Mr.  Norton,  with  a  courteous  bend  of  his  head,  "  but 
is  not  this  very  force  inherited  ? " 

"  Why,  my  dear  fellow,"  returned  Lawrence  Ches- 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  87 

ter,  "  that's  one  advantage  in  having  an  illustrious 
ancestor,  he's  apt  to  transmit  some  of  his  greatness  to 
you.  But  I  tell  you,  no  amount  of  transmitted  great- 
ness ever  becomes  a  power  unless  it  is  utilized  by  the 
inheritor." 

"  Developed  through  freedom  of  the  will,"  suggested 
Marita. 

"  Precisely,"  Chester  said;  and  then  a  gentleman  be- 
gan to  sing. 

Later  in  the  evening,  when  all  the  guests  were  prom- 
enading on  the  great  veranda,  Hamilton  and  Marita 
found  a  quiet  corner  where  they  were  undisturbed  for 
a  few  minutes. 

"  I  shall  not  see  you  in  the  morning,"  he  said,  touch- 
ing her  hair  with  his  lips.  "  I  must  leave  on  the  early 
train." 

"  If  we  were  at  home  I  should  see  you  off ;  here  it 
would  be  too  conspicuous." 

"  I  fear  it  would,  dear ;  but  I'll  give  you  a  chance 
to  see  me  off  next  week.  I  may  come  to  Lindenhurst 
Saturday,  may  I  not  ?  " 

"  Oh,  will  you  come  ? "  she  entreated  with  a  joyful 
tremor  in  her  voice.  "  I  wish  you  would;  I  want  you 


BECAUSE  of  POWER 


"  Do  you,  love  ? "  and  he  drew  her  close  to  his 
heart,  holding  her  there  till  untimely  footsteps  ap- 
proached. Then  he  released  her,  saying  in  a  passion- 
ate whisper: 

"Until  Saturday." 


CHAPTER    VIII 

11  T  DUNNO  what's  come  over  the  Judge,  Miss  Ma- 
rita,"  said  Sam,  who  was  a  long  tried  servant 
privileged  to  speak  out  as  faithful  retainers  often  are. 
He  was  driving  Marita  home  from  the  depot,  and  took 
this  opportunity  of  expressing  his  anxiety  concerning 
the  Judge.  Sam  worshipped  his  master,  and  never 
wearied  of  telling  how  he  was  lying  in  a  drunken 
sleep  by  the  road  when  the  Judge  came  riding  along, 
and,  seeing  him  there,  aroused  him.  "  You  jus'  ought 
to  seen  his  eyes  blaze,"  Sam  would  say.  "  He  set  me 
up  'gainst  a  fence,  an'  then  he  let  fly  at  me.  '  Look 
here,'  says  he,  '  I  dunno  who  you  be,  but  you  ain't 
got  no  right  to  go  treatin'  your  body  's  if  'twas  a  bar- 
rel. A  man's  got  brains,  an'  they  ain't  like  dried 
apples — soakin'  don't  improve  'em.  Come  now,  why 
d'you  clog  your  thinkin'  machine  with  drink  till  you 
ain't  no  better'n  the  animals,  nor  as  good  as  some  of 
?em.'  I  tell  you  what,  no  temp'rance  talk  I  ever 
heard  straightened  me  out  like  that  did.  I  braced  up, 
an'  I  says  to  him,  '  I  do  it  'cause  I'm  a  fool.'  '  Well, 


90  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

you're  honest,'  he  says.  *  Got  a  job?'  I  shook  my 
head.  '  No  job  an'  no  home.'  Then  he  looked  at 
me  kind  of  sorry  like,  an'  he  says,  '  I  need  a  man,  an' 
I'll  try  you  till  you  do  this  again,'  *  It's  a  go,  boss,'  I 
says,  an'  it's  been  a  go  ever  since.  You  see  it's  a 
mighty  good  place — the  Judge  always  treats  you  square 
— an'  I've  never  yet  been  willin'  he  should  think  some 
animals  better'n  I  am." 

All  this  happened  long  ago,  when  Marita  was  a  little 
girl  in  short  frocks,  and  Sam  was  now  the  trusted  man- 
ager of  the  farm.  His  evident  anxiety  troubled  her. 

"  You  think  something  is  wrong  with  my  father?  " 
she  asked  uneasily. 

"  Looks  that  way." 

"  Why,  how  does  he  act — what  has  happened?  " 

"  Fur  one  thing,  he  comes  home  every  day  lately  with 
Salem  in  an  awful  sweat — 'n  you  know,  Miss  Marita, 
that  ain't  like  the  Judge." 

"  It  certainly  is  not.     What  else  have  you  noticed?  " 

"  Well,  he  went  fishin'  on  Sunday — somethin'  that 
.ain't  happened  since  I  been  at  Lindenhurst." 

"  That's  very  odd." 

"  An'  the  oddest  part  is  he  come  back  without  any 
fish." 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  91 

"  No  fish? " 

"  No  fish.  Nuther  thing  that  ain't  happened  since 
I  been  at  Lindenhurst.  My  'pinion  is  that  the  Judge 
never  sunk  a  worm  that  day.  His  line  was  as  dry  as  a 
chip  when  I  put  it  away." 

"Anything  else?"  said  Marita  with  some  misgiv- 
ings. 

"  Well,  Miss  Marita,  last  night — Monday — I  was 
comin'  home  from  town  late — must  'a'  been  midnight, 
or  mebbe  after.  As  I  druv  up  the  hill  I  seen  a  man 
leanin'  on  the  stone  wall  'longside  that  there  peach 
orchard  we  jus'  passed.  I  kind  of  halted,  thinkin'  if 
he  needed  help,  he  could  call  out ;  but  he  kep'  still,  so  I 
come  along  home.  When  I  got  up  to  the  house,  there 
was  Mis  Burton  on  the  steps,  all  dressed  an'  lookin' 
peeked  like.  '  Sam,'  says  she,  '  have  you  seen  the 
Judge? '  '  Seen  a  man  down  by  the  peach  orchard,' 
I  says,  '  but  I  couldn't  make  out  his  face  in  the  dark.' 
I  never  seen  Mis  Burton  look  so  troubled,  an'  she  says, 
*  He  went  for  a  walk  after  dinner,  an'  he  aint'  come 
home  yet.'  '  He'll  be  along  pretty  soon,'  says  I,  '  he's 
only  thinkin'  out  a  case  down  there  in  the  quiet.' 
Then  I  druv  'long  out  to  the  barn  an'  put  up  the  horse; 
but  I  felt  uneasy  like,  an'  I  knew  Mis  Burton  did,  so 


92  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

I  went  out  to  the  gate  to  take  a  look  down  the  road, 
hopin'  I'd  see  him  a-comin'.  An'  sure  'nough,  he  was 
comin' — an'  what  d'you  s'pose?  Mis  Burton  was 
walkin'  with  him !  I  seen  her  white  dress  close  to  him, 
like  as  if  he  had  his  arm  'round  her.  '  He's  all  right 
now,'  I  says,  an'  then  I  turned  in  fur  the  night." 

"  I  am  glad  you  told  me  about  this,  Sam,"  said  Ma- 
rita. 

"  You  know  how  much  I  think  o'  the  Judge,  an'  if 
anythin'  goes  wrong  with  him,  I  can't  help  seein'  it. 
I  thought  you  oughter  know  'bout  it,  'cause  if  any- 
body c'n  smooth  things  out  fur  him,  you  can,  Miss 
Marita." 

"  Perhaps  things  aren't  as  bad  as  you  think — there 
he  is  waiting  for  me !  " 

Marita  waved  her  hand  at  the  Judge,  who  stood  at 
the  gate  ready  to  lift  her  out.  He  greeted  her  as 
though  she  had  been  absent  four  months  instead  of 
four  days. 

"  Did  you  have  a  good  time,  dear? "  he  asked,  as 
they  walked  up  the  box-bordered  path  to  the  house. 

"  Oh,  yes!  "  Marita  answered. 

"Many  there?" 

"  Quite  a  house  full — even  for  Chester  Towers." 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  93 

"  Hamilton  show  up  as  he  expected  to?  " 

"  Yes,  he  was  there,"  Marita  replied;  by  this  time 
they  had  reached  the  steps,  and  she  ran  up  on  the 
veranda  to  meet  her  mother. 

All  through  dinner  Marita  kept  up  a  lively  talk,  and 
at  times  she  thought  the  cloud  on  her  father's  face 
lifted;  but  there  was  an  unmistakable  cloud — a  drawn 
look  about  the  eyes  and  mouth  that  told  of  mental  dis- 
tress. When  they  rose  from  the  table,  Marita  slipped 
her  arm  in  her  father's,  saying: 

"  Now  come  and  '  pace.' ' 

"  Pacing "  meant  promenading  the  veranda  from 
end  to  end,  a  habit  of  theirs  ever  since  Marita  was  tall 
enough  to  walk  with  the  Judge  arm  in  arm.  Though 
this  was  one  of  his  favorite  pastimes,  he  soon  ended 
their  pacing  to-night  by  sending  her  upstairs  to  un- 
pack her  violin. 

"  I'm  hungry  for  some  music,"  said  the  Judge,  a 
pathetic  note  sounding  in  his  voice.  Marita's  eyes 
would  have  filled  had  she  been  a  woman  given  to 
tears. 

Marita  came  down  with  her  Cremona  in  just  the 
right  mood  to  open  the  floodgates  of  her  heart,  and  she 
did.  Her  music  bore  the  message  of  her  love,  and  in 


94  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

the  glorious  melody  Judge  Burton  read  his  doom — 
and  hers. 

"  It  has  come,"  he  thought.  "  She  loves  Hamilton 
— and  I  know  that  he  loves  her." 

Suddenly  Marita  stopped  playing;  for  the  first  time 
in  her  life  she  let  her  violin  fall.  With  a  half  sob  she 
went  straight  to  her  father's  arms. 

"  My  little  girl— is  it  so?  " 

"  Yes,"  she  whispered,  nestling  close  to  the  breast 
which  had  always  been  a  never-failing  shelter. 

"  Hamilton? " 

She  only  clasped  his  neck  tighter,  speaking  no 
word,  but  he  knew. 

That  night  while  Marita  slept,  a  happy  smile  part- 
ing her  lips,  in  the  room  across  the  hall  her  father, 
with  aching  eyes,  watched  the  black  hours  through 
until  dawn. 


CHAPTEK   IX 

,  Hamilton,"  said  the  Judge,  closing  the 
library  door  behind  them. 

It  was  Sunday  afternoon,  and  the  house  was  very 
quiet.  Hamilton  stood  in  front  of  the  window  open- 
ing on  the  balcony  where  he  had  passed  so  many  hours 
with  Marita — where  they  had  watched  the  thunder- 
storm together,  and  she  had  spoken  so  comprehensively 
of  Alexander  Hamilton. 

The  Judge  sat  down  in  a  leather  armchair  by  the 
big  table,  and  resting  his  elbow  on  the  books  and  maga- 
zines, he  raised  a  face  bearing  the  look  of  a  man  who 
has  braced  himself  for  an  ordeal.  Hamilton  did  not 
wonder  at  this;  he  knew  that  when  the  Judge  gave 
Marita,  he  gave  the  dearest  thing  in  his  life. 

For  a  moment  they  looked  at  each  other  in  silence. 
A  cricket  lazily  droned  in  the  garden,  and  outside 
the  windows  the  wistaria  rustled  in  the  breeze.  Ham- 
ilton found  the  stillness  growing  oppressive,  and 
thinking  it  best  not  to  delay,  he  spoke  right  to  the 
point. 


96  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  I  suppose  you  know,  Judge  Burton,  why  I  re- 
quested this  interview.  You  must  have  seen  that  I 
love  your  daughter,  and  I  ask  you  to  give  her  to  me  in 
marriage." 

"  Hamilton,"  said  the  Judge,  after  a  pause  which 
seemed  inexcusably  long  to  Grant,  "  I  know  you  are 
not  one  of  those  men  who  regard  a  woman  as  a  horse — 
a  creature  to  be  groomed  and  paced  according  to  the 
whim  of  the  master." 

The  spark  in  Hamilton's  eyes  said:  "  If  you  did 
think  so,  the  devil  would  be  to  pay." 

"  And  you  say  you  love  Marita,"  the  Judge  con- 
tinued. "  Does  that  mean  that  she  stirs  your  pulse, 
that  you  enjoy  her  companionship,  that  you  think  she 
would  grace  your  home  and  be  a  credit  to  you  in  so- 
ciety? Or  does  it  mean  that  she  is  a  part  of  yourself, 
that  every  shadow  in  her  life  would  be  a  pain  in  yours, 
that,  if  she  must  suffer,  you  would  willingly  suffer 
with  her? " 

"  It  means,  Judge  Burton,  that  I  hold  no  privi- 
lege dearer  than  the  right  to  suffer  with  Marita, 
and  no  privilege  greater  than  the  right  to  suffer  for 
her." 

"  Bravely  said,  Hamilton." 


Why  do  you  refuse?" 
demanded   Hamilton. 


—Page  97. 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  97 

"  Truly  said,"  he  replied  in  an  earnest  tone. 

"  I  believe  you,"  said  the  Judge  sadly,  "  and  I  am 
sorry  for  you." 

"  Sorry  for  me?  "  Hamilton  interrupted. 

"  Yes,"  with  a  sigh.  "  Sorry  that  you  must  suffer 
as  you  will,  if  you  love  her  like  that;  sorry  you  must 
know  that  I  refuse  to  give  you  my  daughter." 

Every  vestige  of  color  left  Hamilton's  face. 

"You  refuse?" 

"  I  do,"  said  the  Judge,  his  heart  aching  with  pity 
jfor  the  wound  he  had  inflicted.  "  And  I  must  tell  you 
why.  My  refusal  pains  you,  Hamilton,  but  the  cause 
of  it  will  be  to  you  something  of  the  agony  it  has  been 
to  me,"  the  Judge  paused  as  if  gathering  strength  to 
go  on. 

"  Why  do  you  refuse? "  demanded  Hamilton,  every 
fibre  in  his  body  strained  with  suspense. 

The  Judge  answered  slowly  and  distinctly.  He  had 
reached  the  point  of  torture  where  calmness  comes 
.from  the  very  inability  to  suffer  more. 

"  I  refuse  because  the  woman  you  love  is  not  Marita 
Burton.  She  is  only  Marita" 

Hamilton  was  stunned. 

"  You  mean — "  he  said  hoarsely. 


98  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  That  she  is  my  daughter,  but  not  Mrs.  Burton's." 
Hamilton  said  nothing;  for  once  his  strong  limbs 
refused  to  support  him,  and  he  sank  into  a  chair.  His 
brain  was  in  a  whirl;  he  could  not  think  clearly.  He, 
to  whom  birthright  meant  so  much,  could  not  adjust 
himself  to  the  thought  of  Marita  with  no  birthright, 
Marita  with  no  name.  That  proud-spirited  woman 
branded  with  the  curse  of  illegitimacy?  Oh,  God!  it 
was  too  awful — too  cruel!  He  was  shaken  to  the  very 
soul,  every  fibre  ached  with  the  strain;  after  a  sharp 
struggle  gradually  the  confusion  of  the  shock  sub- 
sided, and  out  of  the  chaos  into  which  his  mind  had 
been  thrown  there  rose  the  clearest  mental  perception 
Hamilton  had  ever  known.  For  one  brief  instant  it 
seemed  to  him  that  all  the  conventions  of  life  fell 
from  the  human  soul,  and  he  saw  it  in  its  relation  to 
the  universe — bare  of  every  attribute  save  its  own 
power  for  good  or  ill.  Such  a  God-given  thing  could 
rise  above  the  circumstances  of  birth  by  the  right  of  its 
merit!  There  was — there  must  be  in  Marita  the 
power  to  do  this.  Then,  with  this  thought  still  up- 
permost, the  human  phase  rushed  over  him  again — all 
the  anguish  and  humiliation.  Oh,  how  the  pity  and 
tenderness  surged  up  in  his  heart;  how  he  longed  to 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  99 

draw  her  into  his  life  that  he  might  strengthen  her  and 
soften  the  bitterness  with  his  love. 

He  was  about  to  speak  when  the  Judge,  who  had 
been  watching  Hamilton's  face,  raised  his  hand,  sav- 
ing: 

"  Wait !  Let  me  tell  you  all  about  it.  Of  course 
you  understand  that  Marita  knows  nothing  of  this. 
It  has  been  the  care  of  my  life  to  keep  it  from  her." 

Naturally  Hamilton's  first  thought  had  been  for 
Marita;  but  these  words  brought  a  realization  of  the 
suffering  this  man  had  endured.  Now  he  understood 
the  lines  in  the  Judge's  face — his  singular  devotion  to 
Marita — his  great  longing  "  to  get  away  from  it  all." 
Thinking  of  how  his  life  had  been  embittered,  of  how 
many  times  his  heart  had  been  wrenched  by  an  un- 
conscious word,  of  how  an  ever-present  sting  poisoned 
the  father's  joy  in  the  daughter,  he  was  filled  with 
sympathy  and  compassion. 

"  When  I  was  young,  Hamilton,  I  was  a  hot-blooded 
man,  guilty  of  some  indiscretions.  I  spent  two  months 
in  Eome  one  winter,  and  during  that  time  I  lived  with 
Mondello,  a  talented  old  musician  who  had  one  daugh- 
ter. The  girl  was  young  and  very  beautiful.  She  had 
no  mother,  and  her  father  was  too  much  engrossed  with 


ioo  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

his  music  to  look  after  his  daughter's  welfare.  It  was 
the  old  story  of  woman's  frailty  and  man's  selfish  pas- 
sion. I  was  happy  with  Anita  Hondello,  for  she  was 
not  only  amorous,  but  companionable,  a  girl  who,  if 
she  had  been  educated,  would  have  made  a  superior 
woman. 

"  I  left  Italy  in  the  spring,  and  on  the  steamer 
coming  home  I  met  Mrs.  Burton.  She  was  so  differ- 
ent from  the  other  girl — I  suppose  her  greatest  at- 
traction for  me  lay  in  that  difference.  Before  we 
reached  American  shores  we  were  engaged,  and  not 
long  after  I  won  her  father's  consent.  We  were  mar- 
ried in  the  fall,  and  the  following  April  we  went  abroad 
for  a  year  or  more.  My  wife  had  never  been  in 
Italy,  and,  of  course,  was  anxious  to  visit  Rome.  Be- 
fore we  went  there  I  firmly  resolved  not  to  go  near 
the  old  street  where  I  had  lived  before;  but  on  one  of 
those  spring  days,  when  the  blood  flows  like  lava  in  a 
man's  veins,  the  temptation  grew  too  strong,  and  I 
turned  into  that  street.  I  don't  like  to  think  of  what 
would  have  happened  if  I  had  found  things  as  I  left 
them! 

"  When  I  approached  the  house,  I  saw  Anita's 
father  coming  out  of  the  door.  As  soon  as  he  recog- 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  101 

nized  me  his  face  grew  black — and  no  wonder!  Well, 
I  was  not  long  in  learning  that  I  was  the  father  of  a 
baby  girl — and — Anita  was  dead.  Mondello  went 
back  with  me,  and  as  we  entered  the  living  room  I  saw 
my  child,  lying  on  the  floor  on  a  blanket,  kicking  her 
heels  in  the  sunlight.  I  bent  over  her,  and  she  laid 
perfectly  quiet  gazing  at  the  stranger.  Then  a  smile 
broke  over  the  tiny  face,  and  her  little  hand  closed 
over  one  of  my  fingers.  Ah,  Hamilton,  the  magic  of 
that  touch!  It  bound  me  to  her  from  that  instant — it 
was  the  dividing-point  between  a  carefree  and  a  care- 
worn life. 

"  I  confessed  everything  to  my  wife,  and  she  agreed 
with  me  that  the  only  right  thing  to  do  was  to  take 
the  child  and  bring  it  up  as  our  own.  You  may,  per- 
haps, understand  the  reverence  I  have  for  the  woman 
who  not  only  forgave  my  sin,  but  so  nobly  took  up  the 
burden  of  it  with  me. 

"  We  remained  in  Italy  several  years,  and  before 
we  left  I  buried  Anita's  father  beside  her,  vowing  to 
spend  my  life  in  righting,  so  far  as  I  could,  the  wrong 
I  had  done  them.  Now,  Hamilton,  I  have  told  you 
everything.  You  know  what  Marita's  life  has  been. 
You  know  how  she  has  been  loved,  sheltered,  and 


IO2  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

educated;  but  you  don't  know — you  never  can  know — 
what  these  years  have  been  to  me !  To  see  a  daughter 
develop  as  she  has  developed,  to  see  the  lovely  girl 
grow  into  the  glorious  woman,  to  watch  this  day  by 
day,  knowing  that  every  added  grace  hastened  her 
doom — for  love  is  the  doom  of  such  as  she — ah!  I 
wonder  that  I'm  a  sane  man!  " 

The  Judge  was  silent  a  moment,  and  then  continued: 

"  I  have  seen  this  coming,  but  I  was  powerless  to 
prevent  it.  Any  opposition  would  have  merely  hast- 
ened matters.  It  was  inevitable,  and  though  I  grieve 
for  you,  Hamilton,  I  thank  God  that  her  love  has  been 
given  to  a  man  so  noble.  You  will  suffer — but  as  you 
said,  you  will  suffer  for  her — and  you  will  find  a  way 
to  slip  out  of  her  life  without  hurting  her  more  than 
is  necessary." 

Hamilton  sat  silent,  weighing  everything.  In  the 
few  minutes  that  passed  before  he  spoke,  his  own  fate 
had  been  decided — and  Marita's.  At  last  he  rose  and 
stood  before  the  older  man,  feeling  that  he  was  in  the 
presence  of  incarnate  remorse. 

"  Judge  Burton,  you  tell  me  that  now  I  know  every- 
thing. First,  let  me  tell  you  that  I  am  proud  to 
know  such  a  man!  You  have  my  deepest  respect  and 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  103 

sympathy,  but  you  are  mistaken  in  one  thing.  I  shall 
not  slip  out  of  Marita's  life.  Once  more  I  ask  you  to 
give  me  your  daughter  in  marriage." 

"What!"  exclaimed  the  Judge,  rising  out  of  his 
chair.  "  You — a  Hamilton — would  marry  a  nameless 
woman!  " 

"  Yes,  I  would,"  said  Hamilton  with  a  proud  lift 
of  the  head.  As  he  continued  speaking,  the  Judge 
walked  up  and  down  in  his  agitation,  clasping  and 
unclasping  his  hands  behind  him.  "  Am  I  not  right 
in  supposing  that  you,  Mrs.  Burton  and  myself  are 
the  only  persons  living  who  are  aware  of  Marita's 
parentage  ? " 

"  Yes,  yes,"  said  the  Judge,  knitting  his  brows. 

"  Well,  then,  why  should  she  not  become  my  wife? 
It  is  unlikely  that  any  one  of  us  will  enlighten  her, 
and  to  the  world  she  will  be  as  she  always  has  been." 

"  Hamilton,"  answered  the  Judge,  pausing  in  his 
walk,  "  I  have  not  doubt  but  that,  so  far  as  you  and 
Marita  are  concerned,  it  would  be  a  happy  solution  of 
a  difficult  problem,  since  you  are  willing  to  waive  your 
family  pride;  but  this  is  a  deep  question  which  must 
be  considered  from  all  points.  Can  you  deliberately 
take  such  a  step,  under  such  circumstances,  when  you 


BECAUSE  of  POWER 


think  of  the  account  you  must  some  day  render  to  your 
children?  " 

The  Judge  asked  this  question  almost  as  if  putting 
it  to  a  prisoner  at  the  bar,  and  Hamilton  answered  as 
if  he  were  pleading  for  his  life. 

"  I  have  thought  of  that,  and  I  have  based  the  whole 
future  on  the  ground  of  individual  worth.  It  is  the 
foundation  of  my  own  family.  Our  pride  is  in  the 
noble  character  of  Alexander  Hamilton  rather  than 
in  his  long  lineage.  As  you  know,  his  parentage  is 
uncertain;  but  that  fact  does  not  reflect  with  discredit 
upon  him  nor  his  descendents.  Why?  Because  all 
things  are  secondary  in  the  face  of  such  nobility! 

"  Therefore,  I  say  that  a  woman  who  has  the  in- 
herent power  to  overcome  evil  and  promote  good; 
a  woman  who  has  exercised  that  power  successfully  in 
the  past;  a  woman  who,  by  the  very  laws  of  her  being, 
must  continue  to  exercise  that  power  in  the  future,  is 
a  woman  who  will  bequeath  to  her  children  a  wealth 
of  character  far  better  than  a  family  tree.  I  believe 
in  Marita.  I  believe  that  if  she  remains  ignorant  of 
her  birth,  she  will  be  a  noble  wife  and  mother;  I  be- 
lieve that  if  she  should  in  some  way  discover  her  ille- 
gitimacy, she  will  prove  herself  worthy  of  honor  by 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  105 

the  power  with  which  she  will  rise  above  her  misfor- 
tune. My  love  for  Marita  lies  too  deep  for  words. 
I  cannot  tell  you  how  great  it  is;  but  I  can  tell  you 
that  if  you  give  her  to  me  you  will  never  regret  it — 
and  that,  from  me  to  you,  means  much.  I  will  not 
promise  to  shield  her  from  trials;  that  is  idle.  We 
both  know  that  trials  come  to  every  soul  worthy  to 
struggle  with  them.  I  will  promise  to  help  her  bear 
those  trials,  to  do  all  I  can  to  strengthen  her." 

"  Hamilton,"  the  Judge  interrupted,  "  it's  no  won- 
der you  win  your  cases.  Your  words  have  great 
weight,  and  they're  the  words  of  one  of  God's  noble- 
men. You  are  worthy  of  trust,  I  know,  but  if  I  con- 
sent to  this  marriage  there  is  one  condition  I  must  im- 
pose." 

"And  that  is?" 

"  Don't  teU  her,  Hamilton,  don't  tell  her!  " 

"  I  shall  never  tell  her,  Judge  Burton.  That  is 
your  right." 

"  Yes,  it  is  my  right  as  long  as  I  live;  and  remem- 
ber, it  has  been  the  care  of  my  life  that  she  should 
not  know." 

"It  shall  be  the  care  of  my  life,  too!  "  said  Ham- 
ilton, holding  out  his  hand  to  the  Judge.  Neither  man 


io6  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

ever  forgot  that  handclasp.  It  was  to  them  the  seal 
of  a  compact. 

"  Hamilton,  I  believe  in  your  love  for  Marita,  and 
I  think  it  is  a  love  that  will  deepen  with  time;  but  a 
husband  must  have  something  more  than  infinite  love — 
he  must  have  infinite  patience,  as  the  wife  must  also. 
Will  you  have  the  patience  to  bear  with  my  little  girl, 
to  spare  her  the  small  wounds  that  often  hurt  so 
cruelly,  to  think  always  of  the  tragedy  underlying  her 
life?" 

"  How  can  I  forget  it?  Will  it  not  be  a  tragedy  in 
my  life,  also?  Be  assured  that  you  yourself  could  not 
deal  with  her  more  gently,  more  lovingly  than  I  will. 
Our  marriage  would  mean  that  not  you  alone,  but  you 
and  I  together,  would  live  for  her  and  do  all  we  could 
to  perfect  her  life,  making  it " 

A  light  tap  sounded  on  the  door,  and  Marita's  voice 
came  to  them,  saying: 

"  Are  you  two  going  to  talk  all  day? " 

Hamilton  looked  at  the  Judge,  wondering  what  he 
would  do.  He  hesitated  an  instant,  and  then,  in  an 
unsteady  voice,  he  said: 

"  Come  in." 

Marita  opened  the  door  and  stood  just  within  the 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  107 

room,  looking  from  one  to  the  other.  She  knew  it 
would  be  a  hard  talk  for  her  father,  but  she  was  not 
prepared  for  the  look  she  saw  in  his  face. 

"  Marita,"  he  said,  and  it  seemed  to  Hamilton  that 
all  the  pent-up  agony  in  the  father's  life  echoed  in 
that  one  word.  He  was  not  ashamed  of  the  moisture 
gathering  in  his  eyes  as  he  turned  them  away  from  the 
gray  hair  touching  the  brown. 

When  the  Judge  lifted  his  head,  he  looked  at  Ham- 
ilton as  if  charging  him  to  remember.  Then  he  said 
brokenly : 

"  Now,  Marita,  go  to  your  husband." 


CHAPTEE   X 

"  TV/TAKITA,"  said  Mrs.  Burton,  looking  up  from 
her  hem-stitching,  "  do  you  think  your  father 
seems  quite  well? " 

Mrs.  Burton  sat  in  her  favorite  low  chair  in  the  li- 
brary, finishing  a  cobweb-like  handkerchief  for  Ma- 
rita's  trousseau.  That  young  lady,  who  would  never 
have  possessed  a  hand-made  handkerchief  if  she  had 
been  obliged  to  make  it  herself,  was  perched  upon  the 
arm  of  a  big  chair,  twirling  a  felt  walking  hat  in  her 
hand.  She  had  just  come  in  from  a  long  walk  in  the 
October  sunshine.  A  wayward  breeze  had  reduced  her 
hair  to  a  charming  state  of  disorder,  while  every  look 
and  move  expressed  her  magnificent  vitality  now  height- 
ened by  the  crisp  autumn  air. 

Mrs.  Burton  thought  she  had  never  seen  Marita  look- 
ing so  well.  Surely  happiness  was  doing  much  for  the 
girl.  It  had  graced  her  personality  with  a  charm,  deli- 
cate as  the  bloom  on  a  peach  and  like  it,  softening  and 
enhancing  other  beauties. 

When   the    Judge    had    told   his   wife    of   Hamil- 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  109 

ton's  decision  she  had  expressed  the  strongest  disap- 
proval. 

"  Marita  ought  never  to  marry,"  she  said;  and 
though  the  Judge  repeated  all  of  Hamilton's  argu- 
ments, he  could  not  convince  her  that  the  marriage 
should  occur.  However,  since  her  husband  had  con- 
sented, she  regarded  the  matter  as  settled,  and  imme- 
diately began  to  busy  her  fingers  with  dainty  finery 
for  Marita.  During  the  September  days  she  had 
stitched  and  pondered.  Often  her  work  would  fall  in 
her  lap,  and  she  would  look  down  into  the  valley  or  up 
at  the  mountains,  as  if  seeking  to  find  there  the  answer 
to  the  queries  that  constantly  rose  in  her  mind.  What 
did  the  future  hold  for  Marita  ?  Would  the  time  come 
when  Hamilton  would  regret  his  decision?  Did  she 
possess  enough  of  her  father's  self-control  to  restrain 
the  passionate  nature  inherited  from  her  Italian 
mother?  These  questions  troubled  Mrs.  Burton  until 
she  was  nervously  weary  of  the  whole  matter  and  thank- 
ful when  Saturday  came  and  Hamilton,  by  his  strong 
presence,  seemed  to  straighten  everything  out.  She 
had  grown  to  be  very  fond  of  him.  "  He  is  noble," 
she  often  said  to  herself.  Perhaps,  way  down  in  her 
heart,  she  thought  he  was  too  noble  for  Marita.  There 


no  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

were  certain  phases  of  the  girl's  character  which  Mrs. 
Burton  did  not  and  could  not  understand.  They  were 
the  very  phases  that  she  dreaded  because,  being  so 
foreign  to  her  cool  Puritan  blood,  she  could  not  com- 
prehend them,  and  the  unknown  evil  is  always  feared 
the  most. 

This  morning,  however,  it  was  the  Judge  for  whom 
she  was  concerned,  and  the  question  she  asked  of  Ma- 
rita  was  accompanied  by  a  very  anxious  look. 

"  No,  mother,  I  don't,"  said  Marita,  her  bright  face 
clouding  a  little  as  she  thought  of  how  unlike  himself 
the  Judge  looked  as  he  rode  away  that  morning. 
"  Father  hasn't  seemed  quite  natural  since  I  came  back 
from  Tuxedo ;  I  have  thought  it  was  on  account  of  this 
the  Judge  had  looked  as  he  rode  away  that  morning, 
two,  though,  he  has  looked  almost  ill;  don't  you  think 
so?" 

"  I  do,"  said  Mrs.  Burton.  "  I  am  very  much  wor- 
ried about  him.  His  eyes  were  so  dull  this  morning 
and  his  hands  were  like  flatirons." 

"  He  needs  a  vacation,"  returned  Marita.  "  If  he 
could  get  away  I  think  it  would  be  fine  for  us  to  take 
a  little  trip  this  fall,  say  up  to  Canada,  or  perhaps  a 
little  later,  down  to  New  Orleans" 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  in 

"It  would  be  pleasant;  but  how  about  Grant?" 

"  Oh,  he  would  go  with  us;  I'm  sure  he  would." 

"And  if  he  couldn't?" 

"  Well,  you  and  father  could  take  the  trip  any  way. 
I  could  easily  find  some  one  to  chaperone  me  here,  or 
could  make  Mrs.  Chester  the  promised  visit  in  ISTew 
York." 

"  That  would  suit  you  to  perfection,  wouldn't  it  ? " 

"  I  fear  it  would,"  said  Marita  with  a  conscious  flush. 

"  You  are  very  happy,  dear?  " 

"  Oh,  mother,  so  happy !  I  can't  begin  to  tell  you ! 
I'm  almost  afraid  of  my  happiness.  It  seems  too  ideal 
to  last." 

Mrs.  Burton  replied  with  gentle  seriousness. 

"  Try  to  deserve  your  happiness  and  it  will  last." 

"  Does  that  always  follow  ?  "  Marita  asked  thought- 
fully. 

Mrs.  Burton  threaded  her  needle  before  she  said: 

"  I  fear  that's  too  deep  a  question  for  me  to  answer." 

"  I'll  ask  Grant,"  affirmed  Marita,  as  if  he  were  un- 
questionable authority.  "  He  deserves  happiness  if  any 
one  does.  He  is  so  good " 

"  And  so  good  to  you." 

"  Ah,  yes !     No  one  knows,"  said  Marita,  a  soft  light 


ii2  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

shining  in  her  eyes  as  she  gazed  out  at  the  brilliant 
autumn  foliage.  Strange  that  the  crimson  heights  of 
the  maples,  the  yellow  slenderness  of  the  birches,  the 
brown  fullness  of  the  elms,  even  the  depths  of  the 
evergreens,  should  all  enshrine  the  same  manly  face. 

"You  trust  him,  too,  don't  you,  Marita?" 

"  Absolutely !  I  cannot  conceive  of  a  love  not 
founded  on  trust." 

"  NOT  can  I.  No  woman  can  find  happiness  with  a 
man  whom  she  does  not  trust."  After  stitching  in  si- 
lence a  few  moments,  Mrs.  Burton  continued :  "  There 
is  one  thing  I  have  wondered  about,  Marita.  What  are 
you  going  to  do  with  all  the  leisure  that  will  come  to 
you  when  you  are  married  and  living  in  New  York? 
You  cannot  spend  whole  days  on  horseback  there, 
nor  mornings  in  the  woods,  nor  afternoons  on  the 
river." 

"  I  know  it;  and  the  shopping  is  always  intolerable, 
as  are  most  of  the  social  functions;  but,  mother  dear, 
you  forget  my  music.  I  hope  to  do  great  things  with 
that;  perhaps  to  study  some,  if  Grant  approves." 

"  He  surely  could  have  no  objection,"  said  Mrs.  Bur- 
ton, smiling  at  Marita's  willingness  to  be  guided  by  his 
judgment.  It  seemed  a  little  odd  to  see  the  girl  who' 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  113 

had  always  been  so  headstrong  transformed  into  such 
an  amenable  creature. 

"  The  power  of  love  is  incalculable,"  she  thought. 
"  Perhaps  everything  will  come  out  all  right  after  all," 
and  she  held  up  the  handkerchief  to  study  the  effect 
of  the  monogram  in  the  hem-stitched  corner.  "  Marita, 
would  you  like  to  have  lace  on  the  edge  of  this;  or  do 
you  think  it  would  be  prettier  without  ?  " 

Marita  did  not  answer.  She  was  looking  out  of  the 
window,  and  presently  when  she  did  speak,  it  was  in 
a  startled  tone. 

"  Mother,  Doctor  Earle  is  driving  up  the  hill — and, 
I  think,  father  is  in  the  carriage  with  him." 

"  That  can't  be,"  said  Mrs.  Burton,  hastily  laying 
down  her  work  and  looking  out  over  Marita's  shoul- 
der. With  anxious  eyes  she  saw  that  it  was  the  Judge; 
he  was  leaning  back,  his  relaxed  form  supported  by  the 
Doctor's  arm. 

"  Marita,"  she  cried,  "  he  is  ill." 

And  he  was. 
8 


CHAPTER   XI 

.  Grant,  you  are  such  a  comfort!  " 
Hamilton  had  just  closed  the  front  door  be- 
hind them,  and  Marita,  seeing  that  there  was  no  one 
in  the  hall,  impulsively  clasped  her  arms  around  his 
neck  as  she  spoke. 

"  You  needed  the  fresh  air,  dear.  That  is  why  I 
insisted  upon  your  leaving  the  sick  room  long  enough 
to  take  a  walk." 

"  No  one  else  would  have  known  exactly  what  I 
needed.  Not  even  my  blessed  father  understands  me 
as  you  do." 

Hamilton  did  not  reply  in  words,  yet  she  was  satis- 
fied with  his  answer. 

"  I  must  go  back  to  him  now,"  said  Marita,  reluc- 
tantly drawing  herself  away.  "  I  hope  father  hasn't 
missed  me." 

"  You  will  be  a  better  nurse  for  your  outing,"  Ham- 
ilton assured  her.  "  Let  me  know  soon  how  you  find 
him,  and  if  you  need  me 

"  I  shall  call  you,"  she  said,  hurrying  up  the  stairs. 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  115 

After  she  had  disappeared  Hamilton  paced  up  and 
down  the  hall.  He  was  too  restless  to  remain  quiet, 
and  if  he  was  wanted  they  would  find  him  immediately. 

Since  Thursday  night,  when  he  received  Marita's 
telegram  telling  of  her  father's  illness,  Hamilton  had 
been  filled  with  a  foreboding  greater  than  he  would 
acknowledge.  He  had  taken  the  first  train  on  Friday 
morning,  and  found  the  Judge  a  desperately  sick  man. 
The  Doctor  pronounced  it  a  case  of  extreme  nervous 
exhaustion,  and  Hamilton  shuddered  as  he  thought  of 
all  the  man  had  endured.  It  was  no  wonder  he  was 
prostrated.  Such  a  grief  as  his  slowly  weakens  the 
vital  powers,  and  now  that  a  complete  collapse  had 
come,  Hamilton  felt  very  doubtful  of  the  Judge's  re- 
covery. Supposing  he  was  not  restored  to  health? 
Then  the  secret  of  Marita's  birth  would  rest  with  Mrs. 
Burton  and  himself.  He  knew  that  she  would  never 
have  the  courage  to  tell  Marita.  If  it  should  ever 
become  necesary  for  her  to  know  the  truth,  he  would 
be  the  one  to  disclose  it.  Sometimes  he  felt  that  it 
would  be  better  for  her  to  know,  that  it  was  her  right 
to  know.  Was  it  fair  for  him  to  marry  her  when  she 
did  not  know?  Would  it  not  be  wiser  to  tell  her  every- 
thing? He  had  even  urged  this  upon  the  Judge,  but 


n6  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

the  father  objected  so  strongly  that  Hamilton  could 
only  abide  by  his  wishes,  and  would  respect  them  in 
case  of  his  death;  yet  the  time  might  come  when  she 
ought  to  know,  when  it  would  be  a  crime  to  keep  her 
in  ignorance  of  her  birth.  Then  he  would  have  to  tell 
her,  and  Hamilton  knew  she  would  blame  him  for  not 
having  told  her  before.  He  could  almost  see  the 
grieved  look  in  her  eyes  as  she  reproached  him.  A 
great  longing  to  make  a  clean  breast  of  it  all  and  have 
nothing  between  them,  swept  over  him  now,  as  it  often 
had  before.  He  was  not  afraid  of  the  refusal  to  marry 
him  which  he  knew  would  come.  She  was  proud,  but 
she  was  also  broad-minded,  and  he  was  sure  of  his 
power  to  level  the  barriers  she  would  raise,  by  show- 
ing her  that  they  were  false  ones.  Still,  think  as  he 
might,  what  could  he  do?  To  take  matters  into  his 
own  hands  would  be  to  break  faith  with  the  Judge, 
and  Grant  Hamilton  was  incapable  of  doing  that.  So, 
like  the  lost  man  who  travels  in  a  circle,  he  came  back 
to  the  same  point  he  started  from,  keenly  feeling  his 
helplessness. 

Stopping  in  his  walk,  he  looked  out  of  the  window, 
wondering  if  he  had  ever  seen  the  sky  such  a  leaden 
gray.  The  wind  had  almost  bared  the  trees,  drift- 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  117 

ing  the  leaves  in  heaps  along  the  garden  paths.  Frost 
had  browned  the  last  few  chrysanthemums  still  holding 
their  heads  above  the  other  withered  flowers,  waiting 
for  the  snow  to  hide  their  shrivelled  forms.  It  was 
a  dreary  outlook,  and  Hamilton  was  glad  to  turn  his 
attention  to  the  crackling  fire  in  the  library.  He 
stood  in  the  doorway  watching  its  cheery  blaze,  when 
Mrs.  Burton  came  down  the  stairs. 

"How  is  he  now?"  asked  Hamilton,  knowing  from 
her  face  that  there  was  no  improvement. 

"  There  has  been  a  change,"  she  answered,  "  and,  oh, 
Grant,  I  am  so  afraid!  " 

"  You  think " 

"  No — no,  I  don't  fear  the  end — only — he's  lost  his 
grip  on  himself,  and  I  tremble  every  time  he  speaks." 

"  I  see.  You  fear  he  will  say  something  before 
Marita  that  will  arouse  her  suspicions,  if  not  reveal  the 
whole  truth." 

"  Exactly.  You  see,  she  has  been  the  only  one  he's 
recognized,  and  in  all  his  delirium  he's  never  referred  to 
her,  seeming  to  realize  the  necessity  of  silence  on  that 
subject;  but  while  Marita  was  out  walking  with  you 
I  noticed  a  difference.  He  hasn't  betrayed  anything 
yet,  though  he's  been  talking  of  Italy  and  the  old  days. 


n8  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

While  he  is  sleeping  I'm  going  to  dine;  then  I  can 
send  Marita  down  to  eat  with  you,  and  we  must  keep 
her  away  from  her  father  as  much  as  we  possibly  can. 
It  would  be  horrible  to  have  her  learn  the  truth  like 
that!  " 

"  Indeed  it  would.  I'll  do  the  best  I  can  to  keep 
her  down  here." 

"  You  can  keep  her  if  any  one  can,"  said  Mrs.  Bur- 
ton with  a  wan  smile. 

Hamilton  held  out  his  hand  to  the  brave  little  woman 
he  admired  so  much. 

"  Your  goodness  to  Marita  is  divine,"  he  said  in  a 
broken  voice. 

She  made  no  reply,  tears  filling  her  eyes  as  she  with- 
drew her  hand  from  his  clasp  and  passed  on  into  the 
dining-room. 

A  maid  came  to  light  the  lamps  in  the  library,  and 
Hamilton  sat  down  with  a  book,  which  he  didn't  read. 
He  looked  into  the  fire,  marvelling  at  the  heroic  fibre 
that  is  woven  into  the  frail  bodies  of  some  women. 

After  dining,  Mrs.  Burton  made  definite  arrange- 
ments with  Hamilton  for  the  night,  and  then  went  up- 
stairs to  resume  her  duties  there.  When  Marita  came 
down  to  him,  Hamilton  was  really  worried,  she  looked 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  119 

so  pale  and  worn.  All  through  dinner  he  devoted 
himself  to  leading  her  thoughts  away  from  the  Judge. 

"  We'll  have  coffee  in  the  library,"  Hamilton  said 
to  the  maid  as  he  rose  and  went  around  the  table  to 
Marita.  "  Come,  dear;  you're  a  weary  girl  to-night, 
and  I  want  you  to  obey  me  and  let  me  take  care  of 
you." 

With  her  great  brown  eyes  resting  lovingly  on  Ham- 
ilton, Marita  shook  her  head. 

"  You  must  remember  that  I  have  some  one  to  care 
for." 

"  And  you  must  remember  that  your  first  duty  is  to 
care  for  yourself  so  you'll  be  able  to  care  for  your 
father.  Be  reasonable,  dear  heart,  and  rest;  you've 
only  slept  a  few  hours  since  he  was  taken  ill." 

"  I  cannot  rest,  and  I  can't  bear  to  have  father  ask 
for  me  when  I'm  not  there." 

"  You  can  rest,  and  I  promise  you  that  if  your 
father  asks  for  you,  I  will  call  you.  I  intend  to  take 
care  of  him  myself  to-night." 

"  Oh,  my  dear,  I  can't  let  you  do  that!  " 

"  You  have  nothing  to  say  about  it.  Your  mother 
and  I  settled  the  matter  before  dinner;  she  will  watch 
until  ten  o'clock,  then  I  go  on  duty  till  morning." 


I2O  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  "What  a  tyrant  you  are!  "  she  said,  looking  as  if  she 
liked  such  tyranny. 

"  Put  yourself  in  my  hands  and  learn  how  gentle  a 
tyrant  can  be,"  urged  Hamilton. 

"  You  always  do  have  your  own  way,"  said  Marita, 
rising  and  slipping  her  arm  through  his  as  they  left 
the  dining-room. 

"  I  wouldn't  be  a  Hamilton  if  I  didn't,"  he  returned, 
closing  his  hand  over  hers. 

"  Do  you  know,  I  discovered  something  long  ago." 

"  What  did  you  discover?  " 

"  That  your  way  is  pretty  sure  to  be  the  best  way 
there  is." 

He  turned  and  looked  into  her  eyes.  Then  there 
was  a  sweet,  silent  moment. 

When  the  coffee  tray  had  been  carried  out,  Hamil- 
ton persuaded  Marita  to  lie  down  on  the  sofa,  since 
he  could  not  induce  her  to  leave  him  until  ten.  He 
covered  her  with  a  warm  slumber  robe,  and  drawing 
up  a  chair,  sat  down  beside  her  to  read  aloud.  The 
rise  and  fall  of  his  voice  acted  as  a  lullaby.  It  was 
not  long  before  her  eyelids  drooped  and  sleep  con- 
quered. Grant  drew  the  cover  closer  around  her 
shoulders,  and  turning  out  the  lights,  remained  by  her 


121 


side  for  over  an  hour.  Many  precious  thoughts  min- 
gled with  the  troubled  ones.  Occasionally  a  flame 
leaping  high  out  of  the  open  fire  would  reveal  every 
line  of  Marita's  face.  During  the  days  that  followed 
Hamilton  often  saw  her  again  as  he  saw  her  that  night, 
pale  and  sweet  in  her  unconsciousness,  the  brown  hair 
lying  in  soft  waves  against  the  crimson  silk  of  the  pil- 
low, the  well-marked  eyebrows  tapering  into  the  tem- 
ples and  arching  over  the  closed  eyes,  under  which 
dark  circles  had  been  traced  by  the  care  and  anxiety 
of  the  past  few  days. 

At  ten  o'clock  Hamilton  left  her  still  sleeping 
soundly.  He  went  up  to  the  sick-room,  where  Mrs. 
Burton  gave  him  directions  for  the  night.  They 
agreed  that  it  would  be  best  to  leave  Marita  undis- 
turbed; if  she  was  aroused  and  sent  to  bed  she  might 
not  go  to  sleep  again. 

After  arranging  everything  needful  Mrs.  Burton 
left  Hamilton,  telling  him  to  touch  the  bell  button 
twice  if  she  was  wanted.  £Tow  he  watched  the  father 
as  he  had  just  watched  the  daughter.  The  Judge  was 
very  restless,  turning  often  and  sometimes  opening  his 
eyes;  he  had  not  recognized  Hamilton  at  any  time, 
and  did  not  appear  to  know  whose  hand  admin- 


122  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

istered  that  draught  that  quieted  him  for  an  hour  or 
more. 

Hamilton  was  beginning  to  grow  sleepy  himself. 
There  was  nothing  to  do  for  the  sick  man,  and  it  was 
so  still;  only  the  ticking  of  a  clock  broke  the  silence. 
He  rose  from  his  chair,  thinking  he  could  shake  off 
his  drowsiness  if  he  took  a  turn  across  the  room.  As 
he  was  about  to  leave  the  bedside,  the  Judge  suddenly 
opened  his  eyes,  looking  full  at  him  with  a  half-in- 
telligent gaze.  At  the  same  instant  Hamilton  heard 
a  light  step — and  Marita  stood  beside  him.  The 
Judge  looked  at  them  a  moment,  and  then  said  slowly, 
distinctly,  and  with  strong  emphasis: 

"Don't  tell  her,  Hamilton,  don't  tell  her.  She'll 
never  marry  you  if  you  do." 

Hamilton's  heart  stood  still.  His  eyes  were  fairly 
glued  to  the  lips  that  had  uttered  those  terrible  words. 

The  Judge  stirred  uneasily,  and  his  mouth  twitched 
as  if  he  were  trying  to  speak  again.  Never  had  Ham- 
ilton longed  for  anything  as  he  longed  for  him  to  tell 
the  whole  wretched  secret.  The  agonizing  minutes 
passed;  no  words  came,  only  a  few  unintelligible  mut- 
terings. 

Marita  stood  motionless,  watching  her  father  as  he 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  123 

gradually  sank  into  a  deep  sleep.  Then  slowly,  as  if 
every  move  was  an  effort,  she  went  to  the  head  of  the 
bed  and  touched  the  bell  button  twice. 

Without  once  looking  at  Hamilton  she  passed 
through  the  door,  saying: 

"  Come." 

The  metallic  tone  of  her  voice  rang  like  a  knell  in 
Hamilton's  ears.  He  knew  that  Fate  had  thrown 
down  the  gauntlet  with  a  cruel  challenge. 


CHAPTER   XII 

T  T  AMILTON  had  never  been  near  drowning,  though 
he  had  once  heard  an  old  sea  captain  corrobo- 
rate the  statement  that  when  a  man  feels  the  water 
closing  over  him,  his  life  seems  to  pass  before  him  in 
one  great  flash.  As  Hamilton  followed  Marita  to  the 
library,  the  future — the  outcome  of  the  Judge's  speech 
— was  as  plain  to  him  as  the  vision  of  the  past  to  the 
drowning  man.  He  knew  what  interpretation  she 
would  put  upon  those  fatal  words;  he  knew  that  he  was 
powerless  to  clear  himself  without  implicating  the 
Judge,  and  that  he  would  never  do. 

Marita  went  to  the  hearth  and  stirred  the  fire.  She 
appeared  to  be  half  paralyzed;  every  move  she  made 
was  mechanical.  A  burning  log  broke  and  dropped 
into  the  ashes.  It  seemed  to  break  the  spell  that 
bound  her  so  unnaturally,  and  with  an  impulsive  turn 
towards  Hamilton,  she  exclaimed: 

"  Oh,  Grant,  tell  me  everything!  I  must  know  it 
all — all — do  you  understand?  " 

Hamilton  knew  that  his  answer  would  seal  his  doom. 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  125 

"  Marita,"  he  said,  growing  cold  as  he  spoke,  "  I  can 
tell  you  nothing." 

For  an  instant  she  looked  at  him  incredulously. 
Then  a  passion  of  indignation  swept  over  Marita,  blaz- 
ing out  of  her  eyes  and  burning  in  her  words. 

"  You  can  tell  me  nothing!  There  is  some  secret 
in  your  life  that  you  cannot,  will  not  trust  with  me. 
A  secret  so  terrible  that  if  you  told  it  I  would  never 
marry  you;  that  is  what  my  father  said.  How  dare 
you  win  my  love  and  my  promise  when  you  know  your 
life  holds  something  that  would  keep  me  from  marry- 
ing you  if  I  knew  it?  What  can  there  be  that  I  would 
not  forgive?  You  know  that  my  love  is  no  girlish 
fancy.  It  is  the  love  of  a  woman  who  would  follow 
you  to  prison  if  need  be;  who  would  stand  by  you  in 
any  disgrace,  loyal  and  true  and  ready  to  comfort 
through  every  kind  of  trouble;  yet  you  deceive  this 
love,  you  withhold  from  it  the  privilege  of  proving  it- 
self worthy  of  trust.  You  tell  my  father,  and  to  me 
you  are  silent.  Together  you  plot  to  keep  this  from 
me — this  secret  which  it  is  my  right  to  know.  How 
could  you  treat  me  so;  oh,  how  could  you?  " 

Each  word  had  been  a  stab  to  Hamilton,  and  now, 
as  Marita  uttered  this  cry  of  reproach,  it  seemed  to 


126  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

him  that  he  should  never  find  the  strength  to  remain 
silent.  He  could  not  trust  himself  to  speak,  and  turn- 
ing away  from  her,  leaned  his  forehead  on  the  window 
pane,  finding  its  cold  hardness  grateful. 

Marita  went  over  to  him,  laying  her  hand  on  his 
arm. 

"  Grant,"  she  said  beseechingly,  "  I  thought  our 
love  was  founded  on  trust.  You  said  you  had  told 
me  all  of  your  follies  as  I  told  you  mine.  I  could  not 
be  guilty  of  any  wrong  that  I  would  not  confide  to 
you,  trusting  in  your  forgiveness,  and  believing  that 
you  would  help  me  to  atone.  Why,  there  is  no  sin  I 
could  commit  that  I  would  not  trust  to  your  mercy. 
Don't  you  think  my  mercy  can  be  trusted  also?  Any- 
thing is  better  than  deception.  Grant,  speak  to  me — 
don't  be  afraid — my  love  will  bear  any  test!  " 

"  Oh,"  he  groaned,  drawing  her  to  him  as  if  he  would 
never  let  her  go,  "  if  I  could  speak  I  should  be  almost 
happy!  I  cannot  speak,  Marita,  I  cannot  speak!  " 

His  words  came  like  the  cry  of  a  forest  creature 
trapped  and  powerless  to  move. 

"  You  cannot  speak?  " 

"No,  no,  I  cannot;  but  you  must  believe  in  me — 
you  must  trust  me.  You  said  your  love  would  bear 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  127 

any  test;  now  prove  your  words!  I  ask  you  to  trust 
me  in  my  silence,  knowing  that  I  would  speak  if  I 
could,  and  believing  that  I  would  not  ask  this  if  I  did 
not  trust  you  as  I  would  have  you  trust  me." 

Hamilton  spoke  with  such  power  in  look  and  tone 
that,  if  the  Judge  had  only  said,  "  Don't  tell  her/' 
Marita  would,  perhaps,  have  forgiven  Hamilton's  per- 
sistent silence.  Unfortunately,  he  had  said  more  than 
that. 

Slowly  she  drew  herself  away  from  Hamilton's  arms 
and  stood  aloof,  speaking  with  much  dignity. 

"  Your  secret  may  involve  others,  and  your  refusal 
to  speak  may  be  honorable;  yet  since  that  secret  is  of 
such  importance  that  my  father  says  I  would  never 
marry  you  if  I  knew  it,  I  must  refuse  to  trust  you 
blindly,  and  without  trust  there  can  be  no  marriage." 

Marita's  voice  was  steady  as  she  spoke  the  hardest 
words  she  had  ever  uttered,  but  the  room  swam,  and 
she  was  thankful  her  groping  hand  found  the  back  of 
the  chair. 

Though  Hamilton  had  expected  this,  he  started  as 
if  he  had  been  struck. 

"  Don't,  Marita,  don't  say  that !  You  will  not  ruin 
our  lives." 


128  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  Is  it  I  who  have  wrought  the  ruin? "  she  asked 
sadly. 

"  IsTo,  poor  child,  it  is  not  you." 

Hamilton's  heart  swelled  with  pity  as  he  thought 
of  how  she  must  suffer  for  her  father's  sin.  The  bit- 
terness of  it  all  overwhelmed  him.  Why  should  they 
endure  so  much  through  the  wrong-doing  of  another? 
Did  he  not  have  a  right  to  dispel  this  cloud,  to  put 
everything  straight  between  them?  He  felt  that  the 
secret  of  her  birth  would  be  easier  for  her  to  bear  than 
this  distrust.  The  spirit  of  rebellion  rose  high  within 
him.  It  was  unjust  that  he,  whose  honor  was  stain- 
less, should  be  so  condemned.  He  would  tell  her. 
The  words  of  his  justification  rose  to  his  lips,  but 
there  they  died.  He  shut  his  teeth  hard.  A  Hamil- 
ton break  his  word?  Ah,  no!  Far  better  that  Ma- 
rita  should  think  his  honor  stained  than  that  it  should 
really  be.  He  had  promised  the  Judge  never  to  tell 
her. 

"  That  is  my  right  as  long  as  I  live;  and,  remember, 
it  has  been  the  care  of  my  life  that  she  should  not 
know." 

Those  were  the  Judge's  words,  uttered  in  this  very 
room.  However  extenuating  the  present  circum- 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  129 

stances  might  seem,  Hamilton  knew  that  it  would  be 
cowardly  to  break  his  word.  If  he  cleared  himself 
he  must  sacrifice  the  Judge.  Hamilton  hated  him- 
self for  even  thinking  that  he  would  tell  Marita;  yet 
being  very  human,  he  resolved  not  to  let  her  go  out  of 
his  life  until  he  had  made  one  last  effort  to  keep  her. 

"  You  are  not  responsible,"  he  resumed,  "  though 
you  will  be,  perhaps,  the  greatest  sufferer.  Think, 
dear;  can  you  not  trust  me  in  spite  of  your  father's 
words?  I  might  tell  you  that  they  were  the  idle 
words  of  delirium.  They  are  not,  Marita.  There  is 
something  known  to  your  father  and  myself  which  you 
do  not  know.  If  I  do  not  deny  this,  as  I  might  very 
easily,  will  you  not  believe  me  when  I  say  that  I  am 
sure  you  would  marry  me  if  you  knew  all  there  is  to 
know? " 

"  I  know  that  if  I  married  you  without  knowing 
all,  ugly  doubt  would  poison  every  joy,  would  lurk  in 
every  corner,  would  overshadow  our  whole  existence. 
Oh,  why — why  don't  you  tell  me?  Surely  you  know 
that  actual  trouble  is  easier  to  grapple  with  than  mis- 
trust." 

Ah,  yes,  he  knew  that!  Yet  he  could  not  change 
her  burden.  He  could  not  even  say  anything  that 


130  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

would  thrust  the  necessity  of  disclosure  upon  the 
Judge. 

"  Marita,  you  know  I  would  willingly  bear  all  your 
troubles  if  I  could.  Forget  this  awful  nightmare! 
Don't  let  such  a  thing  part  us  forever.  It  cannot — 
it  sliall  not  part  us.  You  are  mine;  you  belong  to  me; 
you  were  made  for  me.  Every  word  you  have  uttered 
to-night  has  proved  it  over  and  over " 

"  You  were  not  made  for  me." 

Could  that  be  Marita's  voice?  Those  cold,  hard 
tones?  They  were  maddening  to  Hamilton. 

"I  was  made  for  you!  In  the  sight  of  God  I  am 
worthy  of  you.  I  have  told  you  that  I  could  not 
speak.  I  have  asked  you  to  trust  me.  You  refuse 
to  do  so.  You  say  that  there  can  be  no  marriage 
without  trust,  and  I  agree  with  you.  If  you  cannot 
believe  in  me,  then  it  is  better  that  all  should  end." 

"  It  is,"  said  Marita,  feeling  as  if  she  were  screwing 
down  the  lid  of  her  own  coffin. 

"  Is  that  final? "  Hamilton  asked,  his  voice  shaking 
with  the  wrath  of  a  man  unjustly  accused. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Marita,  holding  to  her  resolution 
with  her  father's  spirit,  though  her  mother's  blood 
plead  for  love. 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  131 

"  You  cannot  mean  it!  "  he  cried,  unable  to  believe 
that  the  blow  had  really  fallen. 

"  I  do  mean  it,"  she  said  decidedly. 

"  My  God!  "  exclaimed  Hamilton,  striding  up  and 
down  the  room.  "  You  don't  know  what  you're  doing ! 
Think  of  our  love,  of  all  the  sweetness  and  richness 
you  take  out  of  life.  You  are  condemning  yourself 
as  well  as  me.  What  happiness,  what  joy  do  you  ex- 
pect to  find  in  the  future?  " 

"  None,  since  my  trust  in  you  is  gone." 

"  And  what  is  to  become  of  me  ?  "  he  went  on  pas- 
sionately. "  I  have  woven  all  my  thoughts  and  hopes 
about  you.  My  whole  future  is  destroyed.  Marita, 
you  cannot  know  how  much  you  are  to  me.  I  have 
grown  to  look  upon  you  as  a  part  of  myself." 

"  Yet  I  am  beyond  the  pale  of  your  confidence." 

With  all  his  anguish  Hamilton  had  never  been  so 
proud  of  Marita  as  he  was  at  that  moment.  For  a 
woman  to  love  as  he  knew  she  loved,  and  resist  a  lover 
as  she  had  resisted,  that  was  power — though  the  very 
power  he  reverenced  made  his  pleading  hopeless. 

"  Oh,"  he  said  despairingly,  "  it  is  useless!  " 

Marita  looked  at  him  gravely. 

"  You  are  only  prolonging  the  torture." 


132  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

Hamilton  took  a  step  towards  her  and  grasped  her 
arms. 

"  I'd  almost  rather  crush  the  life  out  of  you  than 
leave  you.  Remember — it  is  your  wish — since  you 
wish  it — I  will  go — I —  "  the  words  choked  in  his  throat. 

Marita  dared  not  look  at  Hamilton.  She  heard  him 
move  towards  the  door;  she  wanted  to  cry  out.  The 
pain  in  her  heart  grew  and  grew  until  it  seemed  as  if 
she  could  not  bear  the  agony  in  silence. 

Hamilton  stopped  with  his  hand  on  the  door. 

"  Marita,  promise  to  send  for  me  if  I  can  ever  help 
you." 

"  I  shall  never  need  help  from  one  whom  I  cannot 
trust." 

Afterwards  Marita  wondered  how  she  could  have  let 
him  go  with  those  cruel  words;  at  the  time  she  knew 
that  she  could  not  hold  out  much  longer;  she  felt  that 
she  must  say  something  to  end  it  all.  She  said  the 
right  thing,  for  the  door  closed. 

Marita  was  alone. 

When  the  maid  knocked  at  Hamilton's  door  in  the 
morning,  he  was  gone. 

Later  that  day  the  Judge  asked  for  music.     Marita 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  133 

went  to  the  library  to  get  her  violin.  She  found  it 
on  the  piano,  uncased,  and  resting  upon  a  sheet  of 
music — Mendelssohn's  "  Consolation." 

Through  the  night  she  had  lain  with  wide-open  eyes, 
staring  into  the  darkness;  no  tears  came  to  relieve  the 
tenseness  of  her  suffering;  but  this  last  good-by  of  his 
— this  loving  thought  of  her  pain  and  the  surest  way 
to  ease  it — this  was  too  much.  It  was  so  like  him — 
he  was  always  thinking  of  others.  She  pictured  him 
coming  into  that  room  in  the  dreary  dawn  and  leaving 
this  reminder  of  his  watchful  love.  It  must  have  been 
so  lonely  to  go  away  like  that,  and  she  missed  him  so 
much — and  wanted  him.  The  tears  came  with  a  rush, 
and  bending  over  the  violin,  Marita  sobbed  as  she  had 
never  sobbed  in  all  her  life. 


CHAPTER   XHI 

/"T"SO  get  away  from  Lindenhurst  was  the  essential 
thing  for  Hamilton.  Walking  down  to  the 
village,  taking  the  first  train  for  Jersey  City,  and 
boarding  a  ferry-boat  for  New  York,  were  automatic 
actions  carrying  out  his  aim.  He  felt  as  if  he  him- 
self were  far  away  while  his  body  went  on  performing 
the  necessary  motions. 

As  he  walked  up  Chambers  Street,  the  silence  of 
the  grim  warehouses  and  the  absence  of  trucks  im- 
pressed him  as  something  strange.  He  stopped  and 
looked  about,  yet  he  didn't  realize  that  it  was  Sunday 
morning  until  he  heard  a  boy  calling,  "  Sun-day 
'  Journ-al.' '  Hamilton  went  on  up  to  Broadway  and 
stood  a  moment  on  the  corner.  He  couldn't  bear  the 
thought  of  going  home  in  his  present  state,  and  the 
club  was  still  more  impossible. 

With  hesitating  steps  he  turned  down  Broadway, 
passing  the  great  buildings  all  shrouded  in  a  quietude  so 
unusual  to  one  accustomed  to  see  them  teeming  with 
energetic  life.  Nothing  seemed  natural.  Hamilton 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  135 

missed  the  hurrying  throng,  the  shouts  of  drivers  and 
the  clanging  bells  of  the  cars  that  ran  so  quietly  to-day ; 
he  missed  the  curbstone  sellers  with  their  piles  of  bone 
collar  buttons  and  bunches  of  shoe  strings;  even  the 
street  corners  seemed  desolate  without  the  stands 
heaped  with  polished  fruit. 

On  he  went  until  the  tall  graceful  spire  of  old  Trin- 
ity towered  above  him  like  a  great  finger  raised  to  the 
multitude  as  if  some  invisible  power  said,  "  Hark! 
Listen  to  the  throb  of  life!  "  It  had  always  seemed 
to  Hamilton  that  the  pulse  of  New  York  could  be  felt 
at  this  point,  where  Wall  Street  joins  Broadway.  He 
had  chosen  an  office  in  this  locality,  partly  because  he 
liked  to  be  near  so  vital  a  part  of  the  city,  and 
partly  because  from  his  windows  he  could  look  down 
upon  the  burying-ground  of  Trinity  Church,  where  a 
solid  gray  stone  marks  the  resting-place  of  Alexander 
Hamilton. 

On  this  morning,  though,  the  same  unnaturalness 
pervaded  even  the  familiar  office  building.  No  quick 
footsteps  echoed  in  the  marble  corridors,  no  elevators 
were  running.  Even  after  Hamilton  had  climbed  the 
stairs  and  unlocked  his  own  rooms,  everything  still  was 
strange.  In  the  outer  room,  where  his  clerks  and 


136  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

stenographer  worked,  things  were  in  painfully  perfect 
order.  The  desks  were  closed,  the  waste-baskets  were 
empty,  the  typewriter  was  carefully  covered. 

Hamilton  threw  open  the  door  and  entered  his  pri- 
vate office.  The  same  leather  chairs  stood  on  the 
same  rich  Turkish  rug;  the  same  bookcases  held  the 
same  law  library  of  which  he  was  justly  proud;  the  same 
bronze  clock  ticked  away  the  hours  under  the  gaze  of 
the  same  portraits  of  Daniel  Webster,  Rufus  Choate, 
and  Alexander  Hamilton;  the  same  desk  awaited  him 
with  the  same  papers  and  letters,  yet  Hamilton  knew 
that  nothing  was  the  same  to  him,  and  that  nothing 
ever  would  be  the  same  to  him  again.  He  knew  that 
it  was  not  the  Sunday  strangeness  as  much  as  it  was 
the  strangeness  of  his  own  heart.  No  soul  can  be 
deeply  wounded  without  bearing  a  scar. 

Sitting  down  before  his  desk,  Hamilton  leaned  back 
in  his  chair  and  tried  to  collect  himself.  He  had  been 
so  stunned  by  the  occurrences  at  Lindenhurst  that  con- 
nected thought  had  been  impossible.  Making  an  ef- 
fort to  think  clearly,  he  endeavored  to  unravel  the 
tangled  threads,  though  with  all  his  twisting  and  turn- 
ing he  could  not  straighten  them  out.  He  considered 
the  situation  from  every  standpoint,  but  no  view 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  137 

showed  any  opening  in  the  maze.  Many  life  prob- 
lems he  had  solved  for  others  in  that  very  room,  but 
his  own  baffled  him. 

"  Of  course/'  thought  Hamilton,  "  the  Judge  may 
recover,  and  if  he  learns  the  reason  of  my  absence, 
may  tell  Marita  everything;  but  even  if  she  knows  the 
truth,  I  doubt  if  she  will  let  me  know.  What  am  I 
to  do?  Nothing!  That's  the  worst  of  it — do  noth- 
ing. By  heavens!  "  bringing  his  clenched  hand  down 

» 

on  the  desk  with  such  force  that  the  inkstand  rattled. 
"  I  don't  know  of  any  greater  hell!  To  plant  a  great 
strong  passion  in  the  heart  of  a  man,  to  separate  him 
from  the  woman  he  loves,  to  chain  him  so  he  must  lie 
passive  while  he  suffers,  to  add  to  his  own  torture  the 
knowledge  that  he  is  powerless  to  help  her — it's 
damnation!  " 

Hamilton  sprang  to  his  feet  and  paced  the  floor  like 
a  caged  lion. 

"  If  there  were  only  something  to  fight,  something 
to  overcome.  There's  a  certain  satisfaction  in  battling, 
even  if  it  is  a  hopeless  struggle.  It's  fearful  to  be 
bound  like  this  when  you  have  the  strength  and  will 
to  dare  anything.  This  wretched  business  is  another 
proof  of  a  truth  I  learned  long  ago,  and  that  is,  that  the 


138  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

Almighty  doesn't  allow  us  to  choose  our  own  burdens. 
All  I  have  to  say  is,  it  will  take  all  the  grit  I've  got  to 
bear  the  one  he  has  selected  for  me.  How  can  I  live 
through  the  long  days  with  no  word,  no  sign,  no  sight 
of  those  glorious  eyes,  no  touch  of  those  lips.  Think 
of  it — I,  whose  every  fibre  thrills  and  throbs  in  her 
presence,  to  have  nothing — nothing!  To  just  wait, 
wait,  wait,  knowing  that  I  may  never  have  anything. 
It's  enough  to  drive  a  man  mad !  " 

Several  hours  passed  into  eternity  while  Hamilton 
struggled  with  whirling  brain  and  aching  heart;  but  his 
spirit  was  that  of  the  conqueror,  and  in  those  hours 
he  gained  the  greatest  of  all  victories — the  victory  over 
self.  When  he  rose  from  the  battle,  he  was  master. 
He  saw  that  he  must  endure  a  separation,  and  he  was 
prepared  to  bravely  face  the  inevitable.  There  was 
little  hope;  yet  that  little  he  cherished,  resolved  to 
keep  an  untiring  watch  for  opportunity,  and  if  it  ever 
came,  to  seize  it  with  all  the  force  of  his  being  and 
carry  everything  before  him. 

When  Hamilton  locked  the  office  door  behind  him, 
his  face  wore  a  look  that  some  of  his  clients  had  seen. 
It  was  the  look  that  came  when  he  had  lost  a  case, 
and  had  determined  to  carry  it  into  the  Supreme  Court. 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  139 

He  walked  slowly  through  the  empty  hall,  down 
the  stairs,  and  out  through  the  wide  entrance.  Cross- 
ing Broadway  and  entering  Rector  Street,  a  few  steps 
brought  him  before  the  grave  of  Alexander  Hamil- 
ton. Only  an  iron  paling  separated  him  from  the 
monument  standing  so  near  the  sidewalk. 

"  It  is  well,"  thought  Hamilton,  "  that  he,  who  lived 
for  the  people  should  rest  in  a  place  like  this,  where 
many  footfalls  echo  above  his  ashes.  They  are  a  fit- 
ting and  never-dying  requiem  for  one  whose  national 
influence  was  so  vital.  I  wish  he  were  alive — I'd  like 
to  grasp  his  hand.  He  would  understand  how  hard 
this  waiting  is,  he  would  have  chafed,  as  I  do,  under 
such  forced  inactivity;  but  there's  no  comfort  in  that 
stone,"  and  turning  away  with  a  chill  in  his  heart,  he 
went  on  to  the  Elevated  station. 

On  the  way  uptown  Hamilton  tried  to  think  how  he 
was  going  to  adjust  himself  to  the  routine  of  daily  life 
— minus  hope  of  Marita.  He  had  not  realized  until 
now  how  the  thought  of  her  had  woven  itself  into  every- 
thing. Of  one  thing  he  was  thankful,  there  would 
be  no  breaking  the  news  to  his  friends,  because  he  had 
told  no  one  of  his  engagement — not  even  his  mother. 
He  had  talked  it  over  with  Marita,  and  they  had  pre- 


140  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

ferred  not  to  make  an  announcement  until  the  wed- 
ding was  near;  at  least  he  was  spared  the  painful  task 
of  telling  any  one  that  his  happy  hopes  were  gone. 

Perhaps  if  Hamilton's  mother  had  been  to  him  what 
some  mothers  are,  he  would  have  been  glad  to  speak 
of  his  trouble;  unfortunately  she  did  not  have  one  of 
those  responsive  natures  that  create  an  atmosphere  of 
sympathy.  She  was  a  clear-headed,  cool-tempered 
patrician,  entirely  lacking  the  divine  spark  which  leaps 
from  the  eye  and  claims  kinship  with  other  souls. 
Sometimes  it  seemed  to  Hamilton  that  his  mother  was 
a  greater  stranger  to  him  than  many  whom  he  passed 
on  the  street  and  whose  names  he  did  not  know.  She 
had  always  been  watchful  of  his  health  and  comfort, 
mindful  of  his  manners  and  morals;  knowing  that  he 
was  noble  in  his  life  and  successful  in  his  profession, 
she  knew  nothing  of  the  temptations  and  trials  that 
had  made  him  the  man  he  was.  Her  disposition  was 
such  that  she  could  appreciate  the  achievements  of 
Alexander  Hamilton  much  better  than  she  could  sym- 
pathize with  the  struggles  of  her  own  son,  who  always 
felt  that  his  chief  value,  in  the  eyes  of  his  mother,  lay 
in  his  ancestry. 

Because  of  this  lack  in  his  mother,  Hamilton  found 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  141 

Marita's  ready  sympathy  all  the  more  precious.  It 
had  meant  so  much  to  him  to  look  into  eyes  that  read 
his  soul  and  loved  him  because  of  what  they  read. 
She  had  such  a  sweet  way  of  saying: 

"  It's  the  you  I  love." 

And  now,  he  would  never  hear  her  say  it  again — 
never  delight  in  any  of  the  winning  ways  with  which 
she  had  bound  his  heart  so  fast. 

"  Heavens!  "  he  muttered  to  himself,  as  he  rounded 
the  corner  of  One  Hundred  and  Forty-first  Street, 
and  started  up  the  long  hill  on  his  way  to  Convent 
Avenue,  "  if  I  were  a  drinking  man,  wouldn't  I  drink 
to-night!  " 

Never  had  that  hill  seemed  so  long  to  Hamilton. 
Surely  every  flagstone  had  been  doubled.  It  was  a 
weary  climb  to  the  heartsick  man,  and  when  he  finally 
reached  the  old  house,  he  felt  as  if  he  had  walked 
many  miles  instead  of  a  few  blocks. 

No  lamps  were  burning  within,  but  the  open  fire 
in  the  library  shed  a  mellow  light  into  the  hall,  bring- 
ing out  in  strong  relief  the  winding  stair  rail,  which 
was  a  polished  copy  of  the  Colonial  piazza  rail  out- 
side. High  up,  where  the  stairs  turned,  was  a  charm- 
ing old  arched  window,  and  near  it  hung  a  steel  en- 


142  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

graving  of  the  members  of  the  first  Congress  of  the 
United  States. 

While  Hamilton  was  hanging  his  hat  and  coat  on 
the  antlers  of  a  large  deer  head,  a  maid  opened  a  door 
at  the  back  of  the  hall. 

"  Mrs.  Hamilton  didn't  expect  you  to-night,  sir," 
she  said.  "  She's  gone  out  to  supper." 

"  I'll  have  something  in  the  library,"  replied  Ham- 
ilton, thankful  that  his  mother  was  not  at  home. 

He  went  into  the  spacious  front  room,  which  was 
probably  the  "  living  room  "  in  Alexander  Hamilton's 
day.  Since  then  it  had  been  turned  into  a  library. 
The  high  walls,  the  broad  windows  and  doorways  had 
a  dignity  all  their  own.  One  of  Hamilton's  college 
mates  once  said  that  "  it  was  just  the  room  to  read 
Homer  in,"  and  so  it  was.  You  felt  that,  as  the  book- 
cases held  not  only  volumes,  but  the  thought  of  the 
ages,  so  the  room  held  not  only  furniture,  but  the  spirit 
of  the  past.  When  you  looked  at  the  tall  clock  be- 
side the  fireplace  you  thought  of  all  the  lives  it  had 
ticked  away.  The  spinning-wheel  in  the  corner  re- 
minded you  of  busy  hands  and  feet  forever  stilled. 
Near  one  of  the  windows  stood  a  writing-table  where 
you  might  easily  fancy  Alexander  Hamilton  sitting, 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  143 

drafting  some  of  his  famous  papers.  His  quill  pen 
would  move  steadily  back  and  forth  across  the  paper, 
pausing  occasionally  while  a  thought  was  formulated, 
but  when  it  once  began  to  write  there  would  be  no 
hesitating,  no  interlining. 

The  few  lines  of  the  chair  he  used,  as  indeed  of  all 
the  old  mahogany,  bespoke  the  good  taste  of  Hamil- 
ton's aristocratic  wife,  Elizabeth  Schuyler.  Perhaps 
in  no  place  was  this  more  evident  than  in  the  octagonal 
dining-room  adjoining  the  library.  Here  everything 
from  the  carved  chairs  and  table  to  the  "  dressers  " 
shining  with  rich  silver,  was  in  perfect  harmony. 

"  I'm  very  sure  of  one  thing,"  said  a  friend  of 
Grant's  the  first  time  he  dined  at  The  Grange;  "  and 
that  is,  Alexander  Hamilton  never  had  dyspepsia.  He 
couldn't  have  had  when  his  meals  were  served  in  such 
a  room  as  this!  " 

Hamilton  was  not  eating  there  in  state  to-night. 
He  had  what  he  wanted  in  front  of  the  library  hearth, 
and  when  the  tea-tray  had  been  removed,  he  stretched 
out  his  long  limbs  and  lifted  his  eyes  to  the  portrait 
above  the  mantel.  This  picture  had  always  seemed 
half  alive  to  him,  and  now,  in  the  fitful  firelight,  it 
was  more  lifelike  than  ever. 


144-  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

Hamilton  looked  at  the  slender  man  endowed  with 
such  mighty  power,  and  thought  of  Daniel  Webster's 
words :  "  He  smote  the  rock  of  the  national  resources, 
and  abundant  streams  of  revenue  gushed  forth.  He 
touched  the  dead  corpse  of  Public  Credit,  and  it 
sprung  upon  its  feet." 

"  Well,"  thought  Hamilton,  "  you  were  lucky  to 
have  a  rock  to  smite  and  a  corpse  to  touch.  If  this 
unhappy  affair  of  mine  afforded  me  something  to  strike 
at,  I  should  be  more  contented." 

A  flame  leapt  up,  giving  a  warm  tone  to  the  face 
of  the  great  statesman,  and  as  Hamilton  gazed  he  felt 
as  if  a  friend  were  with  him — a  friend  who  understood 
and  sympathized,  who  comforted  him  with  the  assur- 
ance that  the  patient  siege  is  often  more  heroic  than 
the  desperate  battle. 

Hamilton  sat  there,  dizzy  with  thinking,  until,  worn 
out  with  the  strain  of  the  last  twenty-four  hours,  he 
lost  consciousness  in  merciful  sleep. 

His  mother  came  in  and  found  him,  kindly  leaving 
him  undisturbed.  The  maid  locked  up  the  house  and 
extinguished  the  lights.  Still  he  slept. 

When  Hamilton  awoke  it  was  far  into  the  night. 
Only  a  few  embers  glowed  out  of  the  still  darkness. 


1 


Hamilton  sat  there,  dizzy  with  thinking. 


— Page  144. 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  145 

He  had  gone  to  sleep  with  the  image  of  Alexander 
Hamilton  before  him,  he  had  dreamed  of  Marita,  and 
now,  as  he  opened  his  eyes,  it  seemed  to  him  that  they 
stood  side  by  side,  both  smiling  down  at  him,  and  say- 
ing together,  "  Courage !  " 

He  rose  and  went  up  to  his  room.  A  fire  had  been 
kindled  here  for  him,  and  was  still  burning  brightly 
under  the  Colonial  wreaths  carved  in  the  mantel  fram- 
ing the  slate  fireplace.  It  cast  a  cheery  glow  upon 
the  green  and  white  striped  wall-paper,  it  gave  an  in- 
viting air  to  the  quaint  four-posted  bed,  it  almost  lent 
a  sparkle  to  the  glass  handles  of  the  claw-footed  bu- 
reau. Hamilton  was  vaguely  glad  that  the  fire  had 
been  lighted;  yet  he  turned  from  it  and  crossing  over 
to  the  window,  opened  the  solid  wood  shutters.  It 
was  a  glorious  night.  Every  star  that  had  a  right  to 
show  its  face  was  visible.  High  above  the  thirteen 
trees  planted  by  Alexander  Hamilton's  own  hand — one 
for  each  of  the  original  colonies — sailed  the  moon,  shed- 
ding her  silver  light  over  the  earth.  Hamilton  looked 
at  these  now  leafless  trees,  so  often  shaken  by  storms, 
thinking  that  perhaps  they  were  as  grateful  for  the 
luster  shining  upon  their  barrenness  as  he  was  for  the 

hope  which  was  all  that  made  his  loneliness  bearable. 
10 


CHAPTER   XIV 

JUDGE  BURTON'S  convalescence  was  a  long  one. 
All  his  powers  had  been  so  weakened  that  time, 
as  well  as  care,  was  necessary  to  restore  them.  He 
was  like  one  who  had  almost  entered  the  land  of  peace, 
and  was  being  reluctantly  coaxed  back  again.  It 
seemed  enough  for  him  just  to  lie  in  the  sunlight,  to 
idly  gaze  at  the  flowers  sent  in,  or  to  dream  away 
any  number  of  hours  under  the  spell  of  Marita's 
music.  His  mind,  while  in  a  sound  condition,  had 
not  yet  recovered  its  usual  activity.  He  accepted 
everything  without  a  question,  even  Hamilton's 
absence. 

Marita  was  very  thankful  for  this.  Just  now  she 
could  not  have  borne  any  explanations.  On  the  morn- 
ing after  Hamilton's  departure  she  had  said  to  Mrs. 
Burton: 

"Everything  is  over;  it  is  better  so;  and  please, 
mother,  I  don't  want  to  talk  about  it." 

Naturally  Mrs.  Burton  was  mystified.  She  felt 
felt  sure  that  Marita  would  not  have  called  her 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  147 

"  mother  "  if  the  Judge  had  betrayed  his  secret,  and 
as  the  days  passed,  she  knew  that  Marita  was  still 
ignorant  of  her  parentage.  What  could  have  sepa- 
rated those  two  who  loved  so  deeply?  She  could  not 
fathom  the  situation;  she  could  only  wonder,  and  be 
sorry  for  Hamilton  while  her  heart  ached  for  Marita. 
She  saw  that  the  girl  was  passing  through  fire. 

The  color  left  Marita's  cheeks,  and  the  light  died 
out  of  her  eyes.  She  looked  like  one  from  whom  the 
joy  of  life  has  been  taken.  It  is  a  fearful  thing  to 
read  this  in  the  face  of  one  who  has  always  found  that 
joy  keen.  Something  so  vital  must  cause  the  change, 
something  so  bitter. 

Marita  struggled  against  the  feeling  that  everything 
was  a  mockery.  She  hated  pessimism;  yet,  since  her 
faith  in  Hamilton  had  been  so  rudely  shaken,  it  was 
hard  to  believe  in  anything.  Many  an  hour  she  spent 
in  the  woods,  and  when  she  came  home,  the  fragments 
of  dried  leaves  on  her  garments  told  the  story  of  a 
woman  lying  prone  on  the  ground  in  her  anguish. 
There  were  times  when  it  seemed  as  if  she  must  call 
him  back,  whether  she  trusted  him  or  not.  She 
longed  for  his  thoughtful  care,  and  when  she  thought 
of  the  love  in  his  eyes,  of  the  touch  of  his  hand  and 


148  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

lips — ah,  it  was  then  that  she  flung  herself  down  on 
the  fallen  leaves!  When  these  moods  passed  she  al- 
ways came  back  to  the  same  dreary  question,  if  she 
could  not  trust  him,  who  and  what  could  she  trust? 
This  doubt  was  awful  to  Marita;  it  meant  the  loss  of 
many  ideals,  the  wreckage  of  many  beliefs. 

"  Is  it  possible,"  she  asked  herself,  "  that  I  am  the 
same  creature  who  once  believed  that  a  golden  spot 
lay  in  the  blackest  heart?  Now  I  wonder  if  a  black 
spot  does  not  lie  on  the  whitest  soul." 

During  those  bitter  weeks  Marita's  life  was  like  a 
stream  turned  back  from  its  usual  channel,  forced  to 
make  its  way  through  rough  fields.  Music  was  her 
only  comfort.  If  she  had  not  had  this  outlet  Marita 
might  have  done  something  desperate.  Hers  was  not 
the  cool  blood  that  accepts  the  inevitable  and  becomes 
resigned.  She  had  in  her  veins  that  fire  that  leads  to 
rash  acts.  Sometimes  the  river  lapped  so  invitingly, 
its  coolness  was  alluring;  sometimes  she  lingered  on 
the  edge  of  a  precipice  until  the  depths  below  beckoned 
dangerously.  More  than  once  she  caught  her  breath 
with  a  shudder,  and  turning  her  back  upon  these  temp- 
tations, hurried  back  to  her  violin  and  poured  forth  a 
torrent  of  pent-up  passion. 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  149 

Marita  often  wondered  if  other  women  suffered  as 
she  did. 

"  Oh,"  she  thought,  "  do  their  arms  ache  with  the 
emptiness,  are  their  lips  parched  for  one  kiss,  are  they 
always  hungering  for  the  sound  of  one  voice,  starved 
for  the  lovelight  in  certain  eyes? " 

Day  and  night  she  struggled  and  questioned,  tried 
to  believe — and  doubted.  The  outcome  of  Marita's 
strife  was  a  determination  to  ask  her  father  to  explain 
matters  when  he  was  stronger.  She  knew  it  would 
wound  him  terribly  to  know  that  any  words  of  his 
should  cause  so  much  unhappiness;  but  after  careful 
consideration  she  decided  that  it  was  only  fair  to 
Hamilton  to  make  this  request  of  her  father.  If  he 
could  help  her  out  of  this  trouble,  she  knew  he  would, 
and  resolving  to  tell  him  everything  as  soon  as  his 
strength  would  permit,  she  summoned  all  the  patience 
she  could — and  waited. 

One  day  in  December  Marita  sat  by  the  window  in 
her  father's  room,  watching  the  first  snow  whiten  the 
ground.  Enough  had  fallen  so  that  when  Sam  drove 
up  the  hill,  returning  from  his  daily  trip  to  the  village, 
the  road  was  marked  with  wheel  tracks.  She  was  list- 
lessly looking  at  these,  wondering  how  soon  they  would 


150  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

disappear,  when  a  maid  entered  the  room  with  the  let- 
ters Sam  had  brought.  There  was  one  from  Mrs. 
Chester,  and  one  from  a  college  mate  now  in  Califor- 
nia. The  third  one  caused  her  lips  to  blanch. 

Even  if  Marita  had  stopped  to  think  that  she  ought 
to  read  this  letter  alone,  she  would  not  have  had  the 
strength  to  move.  She  was  utterly  unnerved  at  sight 
of  Hamilton's  writing.  All  thought  of  time  and  place 
and  consequences  was  swept  away.  The  torn  envelope 
fell  to  the  floor,  and  Marita  read  these  lines: 

"  On  Board  S.  S.  '  Augusta  Victoria,' 
"  I  cannot  leave  America  without  letting  you  know 
that  you  can  always  reach  me  by  addressing 
"  c|o  Credit  Lyonnaise, 

"  19  Boulevard  des  Italiens, 

"  Paris,  France." 

Marita  dropped  the  paper  in  her  lap  and  looked  out 
of  the  window.  She  was  dimly  conscious  that  the 
wheel  tracks  were  rapidly  disappearing;  she  noticed, 
in  a  dreamy  way,  how  the  snow  was  lodging  on  the 
boxwood. 

Meanwhile  the  Judge  was  watching  her  closely. 
The  envelope  had  fallen  where  he  could  see  the  hand- 
writing. 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  151 

"  Marita." 

She  started  as  if  she  had  been  roused  from  a  sound 
sleep. 

"  What  does  Hamilton  have  to  say?  When  is  he 
coming  up? " 

"  He  has  gone  abroad,"  she  said  in  a  dull  tone, 
thinking  of  nothing  save  that  the  ocean  rolled  between 
them. 

"  He  has !  "  exclaimed  the  Judge,  sitting  upright  on 
'the  lounge. 

Marita  was  stirred  now  and  thoroughly  frightened 
by  her  father's  exclamation.  She  knew  the  danger  of 
a  shock  in  his  present  condition. 

"  Yes,  father  dear,  it's  a  business  trip,  you  know. 
This  is  a  farewell  sent  back  from  Sandy  Hook." 

Marita  rearranged  his  pillows,  and  asked  him  if  he 
wouldn't  like  some  music;  yet  notwithstanding  her 
diverting  attentions,  while  she  played  and  afterwards, 
the  Judge  did  something  he  had  not  done  for  weeks. 
He  thought. 


CHAPTEK   XV 

"TV/TAKITA,  I'm  tired  of  this.  I'm  going  down- 
stairs/' said  the  Judge  on  the  following 
morning. 

"  Why,  father,  you  can't.  You  haven't  even  walked 
around  on  this  floor." 

"  That  doesn't  make  any  difference.  I'm  going 
down  to  the  library  now.  Let  me  lean  on  you,  and 
we'll  surprise  your  mother." 

The  Judge  spoke  with  his  old-time  energy,  and  it 
did  Marita's  heart  good  to  hear  the  ring  in  his  voice. 
Still  she  felt  that  it  was  not  wise  for  him  to  attempt 
so  much  at  once;  but  he  couldn't  be  dissuaded. 

When  he  was  comfortably  settled  in  the  library 
Marita  called  Mrs.  Burton.  Her  surprise  and  delight 
afforded  the  Judge  much  pleasure.  He  seemed  so 
natural  again  that  Marita  felt  as  if  there  were  a  break 
in  the  clouds. 

"Now,"  said  the  Judge  briskly,  "I  want  all  the  news. 
I  expect  you  two  women  to  give  me  a  summary  of  what 
has  occurred  since  I've  been  lazing  away  upstairs." 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  153 

He  looked  at  Marita  as  lie  spoke.  She  rose  and  be- 
gan to  straighten  a  pile  of  music. 

"  Well,"  said  Mrs.  Burton,  watching  Marita  un- 
easily. "  I  don't  know  that  there  is  much  news  to 
tell.  There  have  been  some  changes  in  the  village 
school.  The  Board  accepted  Miss  Stone's  resignation, 
and  elected  a  new  teacher.  She  called  here  one  after- 
noon to  interview  the  chairman,  but  you  weren't  re- 
ceiving people  then.  I  didn't  see  her,  Marita  enter- 
tained the  young  lady." 

"  She  gave  me  a  lively  half  hour,"  remarked  Ma- 
rita. "  I  couldn't  quite  make  out  whether  she  was 
really  vivacious  and  bright  or  nervous  and  trying  to 
make  an  impression.  Any  way,  she  told  one  school 
experience  that  bears  repeating.  She  said  she  was 
making  out  a  vaccination  list.  Coming  up  to  a  red- 
headed boy,  she  asked  him  if  he  had  been  vaccinated. 
1  Please,  ma'am,  wouldn't  havin'  the  smallpox  do  just 
as  well? '  " 

The  Judge  laughed  heartily.  Like  all  men  of  strong 
character,  he  thoroughly  enjoyed  a  joke. 

"  Then  she  told  me  about  the  last  time  she  had  ever 
struck  a  child." 

"  Why,"  interrupted  the  Judge,  "  do  you  mean  to 


154  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

say  that  teachers  still  employ  that  method  of  disci- 
pline? " 

"  Of  course  they  do,  not  only  in  country  schools, 
but  in  some  city  schools  also." 

"  Well,  I'm  surprised.  I  thought  that  modern  en- 
lightenment was  greater  than  that." 

"  It  doesn't  seem  to  be.  I  suppose  it's  easier  to 
strike  than  to  use  moral  suasion.  This  young  woman 
said  that  she  struck  a  boy  for  some  wrong-doing,  and 
he  sprang  to  his  feet,  exclaiming,  '  If  you  weren't  a 
woman  I'd  strike  back! '  The  boy's  indignation  im- 
pressed her;  she  thought  about  it,  and  she  said  she 
had  never  struck  a  child  since  then." 

"  Must  be  good  stuff  in  that  girl,"  the  Judge  re- 
marked. 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Marita  hesitatingly;  "  I'm  not 
sure  of  that." 

"  Why,  what  has  come  over  you?  "  asked  the  Judge, 
giving  her  a  searching  glance.  "  You  used  to  believe 
that  people  were  genuine  until  they  had  been  proven 
frauds." 

"  Don't  you  thing  it's  just  as  well  to  take  everybody 
on  suspicion,  and  let  them  prove  themselves  genuine?  " 

"  That  point  of  view  may  do  for  a  man  who  has  to 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  155 

knock  up  against  the  world,  but  I  can  tell  you  it  takes 
a  mighty  level-headed  man  to  keep  in  focus  if  he  goes 
on  that  principle.  For  a  woman  it's  an  abominable 
standpoint,  and  I  want  to  know  who  or  what  has  been 
putting  such  nonsense  into  your  head." 

The  Judge  seldom  spoke  to  Marita  in  this  authorita- 
tive way,  and  Mrs.  Burton  wondered  how  Marita  would 
answer  him. 

"  Dear  father,"  she  said,  coming  up  to  him  and  rest- 
ing her  hand  on  his  head,  "  don't  you  know  the  whole 
world  was  turned  topsy-turvy  when  you  were  lying  ill?  " 

Mrs.  Burton  thought  it  was  time  she  came  to  Ma- 
rita's  rescue. 

"  Now  that  you  are  well  again  and  downstairs,  I 
think  we  ought  to  have  some  music  to  celebrate." 

Marita  gave  her  a  grateful  look  as  she  went  towards 
the  piano. 

"  What  is  it  that  you  have  on  the  rack?  "  she  con- 
tinued. "  Something  festive  ?  " 

"  Mendelssohn's  *  Consolation,' '  replied  Marita, 
with  a  slight  shiver. 

She  placed  another  sheet  of  music  over  it,  and  was 
taking  up  her  violin,  when  they  heard  the  sound  of 
sleigh-bells  drawing  near. 


156  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  It's  Doctor  Earle,"  said  Mrs.  Burton,  rising  to 
stir  up  the  fire.  "  He'll  be  surprised  to  find  his  pa- 
tient down  here." 

Marita  was  much  relieved.  She  did  not  feel  like 
playing,  but  it  had  seemed  the  only  thing  to  do  just 
then. 

"  Well,  well!  "  exclaimed  the  Doctor,  bringing  in 
with  him  the  crispness  of  frosty  air.  "  You  are  pro- 
gressing." 

He  greeted  them  all  cordially,  and  sitting  down  in 
front  of  the  fire,  held  out  his  hands  to  the  blaze. 

"  Pretty  cold  outside — good  sleighing." 

"  How's  New  York? "  the  Judge  asked  of  the  Doc- 
tor, who  had  been  in  town  a  few  days. 

"  Fine!     Everything  is  in  full  swing." 

"  Did  you  go  to  the  opera?  "  inquired  Marita. 

"  Indeed,  I  did.  Heard  '  Tannhauser  '  and  t  Lohen- 
grin.' Nordica  is  in  splendid  voice  this  winter." 

"  And  Jean  de  Reszke?  " 

"  He's  always  superb.  I  think  his  voice  even  im- 
proves with  time.  Nobody  else  can  touch  him." 

"  You  enjoy  Grand  Opera,  I  judge,"  remarked  Mrs. 
Burton. 

"Very  much.     I  know  of  nothing  that  lifts  you 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  157 

out  of  yourself — carries  you  into  another  world — 
more  than  that  does.  It  is  really  a  wonderful  sight  to 
see  that  great  opera  house  filled  with  a  throng  held 
spellbound  by  the  most  magnificent  voices  in  the 
world." 

"  Is  the  throng  spellbound?  "  asked  the  Judge. 

"  Yes,  it  is,"  returned  the  Doctor.  "  The  audience 
is  not  nearly  so  conversational  as  the  critics  try  to 
make  out." 

"  Those  critics!  "  said  the  Judge,  shaking  his  head. 
"  They  seem  to  delight  in  extracting  the  joy  out  of 
life." 

Mrs.  Burton  looked  up  from  her  needlework,  asking 
gently:  "  Don't  you  feel  sorry  for  them,  though? 
Theirs  is  such  a  thankless  profession." 

"  That  depends  upon  the  spirit  they  carry  into  it," 
Marita  remarked.  "  I  think  if  more  of  them  felt  as 
Goethe  did,  that  sympathy  is  the  most  essential  quality 
in  critics,  they  would  not  find  their  profession  so 
thankless." 

"  You  have  a  remarkable  way  of  hitting  the  nail 
on  the  head,"  said  the  Doctor,  with  a  look  of  ad- 
miration. 

The  Judge  laughed. 


158  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  That's  a  great  compliment,  Harita.  You  know 
women  are  proverbially  bad  at  driving  nails." 

"  The  Judge  has  certainly  recovered,"  exclaimed 
the  Doctor.  "  Speaking  of  critics,  reminds  me  of  a 
remark  I  heard  a  thinker  make  not  long  ago.  He 
said  that  '  criticism  is  a  good  brake,  but  a  very  poor 
propelling  power.' ' 

"  Capital  "  cried  the  Judge. 

"  That's  an  excellent  thought,"  said  Marita,  with  an 
emphatic  nod  of  her  head. 

"  So  it  impressed  me,"  returned  the  Doctor.  Then 
he  spoke  of  the  theatres,  and  told  of  an  art  exhibit  he 
had  attended.  Indeed,  he  was  really  delightful  this 
morning;  there  was  something  unusually  buoyant  in 
his  manner. 

When  Doctor  Earle  rose  to  go,  he  turned  to  the 
Judge  and  said  in  an  off-hand  way: 

"I  didn't  tell  you  that  I  saw  your  friend  Hamil- 
ton." 

"No,  you  didn't." 

"  Why,  I  went  down  to  see  a  friend  sail  on  the  '  Au- 
gusta Victoria,  and  I  met  him  on  board." 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  Judge,  "  he's  gone  over  on  a 
business  trip." 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  159 

"Business?  Well,  perhaps  he  calls  it  that,  but  I 
shouldn't  call  it  business  to  go  abroad  for  an  indefinite 
length  of  time,  just  to  travel  where  fancy  led." 

"  I  don't  think  I  should  either,"  the  Judge  said 
slowly,  looking  at  the  two  red  spots  burning  in  Ma- 
rita's  cheeks. 

The  Doctor  saw  them,  too.  He  said  good-by  quietly, 
but  his  eyes  beamed  as  Mrs.  Burton  accompanied  him 
to  the  front  door. 

The  moment  they  were  alone  the  Judge  turned  to 
his  daughter,  saying: 

"  Come  now,  Marita,  out  with  it.  Why  has  Hamil- 
ton gone  to  Europe? " 


CHAPTER   XVI 

u  T  T  711 Y  has  he  gone?"  Marita  asked  in  a  dazed 
way. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Judge  with  his  old-time  determina- 
tion. "  You  told  me  Hamilton  had  gone  on  business 
—the  Doctor  says  he  has  gone  for  pleasure.  Now  I 
want  the  real  reason." 

These  words  quickly  dispelled  Marita's  bewilder- 
ment. Her  father  was  thoroughly  roused,  and  ehe 
knew  that  the  sooner  she  spoke  the  better. 

"  The  truth  is,  I  don't  know  why  he  has  gone,  un- 
less it  is  to  forget." 

"Forget  what?"  demanded  the  Judge,  drawing  his 
heavy  eyebrows  together. 

"  Oh,  father,"  she  cried,  "  it's  all  over— all  ended!  " 
Her  voice  broke;  she  sank  to  the  floor,  clasping  his 
knees  and  shuddering  like  a  wounded  bird. 

It  was  in  such  moments  as  these  that  the  Judge  saw 
the  mother  live  again  in  the  daughter.  There  was 
the  same  passion,  the  same  abandon.  How  often 
in  that  old  Roman  garden  had  Anita  thrown  herself 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  161 

at  his  feet,  and  clung  to  him  as  their  child  was  clinging 
now.  Taking  Marita's  face  between  his  hands,  he 
looked  long  into  the  eyes  that  seemed  to  mirror  his 
past  in  their  troubled  depths.  Something  he  saw 
there  swept  away  everything  save  remorse.  The 
Judge  drew  Marita  into  his  arms  and  held  her  close, 
feeling  that  no  sacrifice  was  too  great  if  it  would  only 
bring  her  peace. 

Neither  one  of  them  spoke,  but  while  Marita  was  find- 
ing untold  comfort  in  her  father's  love,  he  was  thinking 
that  of  all  the  cowards  he  ever  knew,  Hamilton  was 
the  greatest.  After  accepting  the  situation  as  he  had 
when  he  first  learned  the  secret  of  Marita's  birth, 
then  to  reconsider,  as  he  apparently  had,  and  leave 
her  during  her  father's  illness — could  anything  be 
more  contemptible?  In  the  midst  of  his  wrath, 
though,  the  Judge  felt  that  there  must  be  a  mis- 
take somewhere.  This  feeling,  indefinite  at  first,  grew 
stronger,  and  he  resolved  to  question  Marita  and  find 
out  why  they  had  parted. 

"  Now  tell  me  everything,  dear,"  he  said,  touching 
her  forehead  with  his  lips.  "  Surely  you  are  not 
afraid  to  speak  freely  to  your  father?  " 

"  Oh,  no!     I  am  glad  to  speak,  I  want  to.     I  would 
11 


1 62  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

have  spoken  long  before  if  you  had  been  stronger. 
That  is  why  I  said  he  had  gone  over  on  a  business  trip. 
I  thought  it  better  not  to  explain  until  you  were  well 
again." 

"  I  see,"  said  the  Judge,  stroking  her  hair.  "  How 
long  is  it  since  you  saw  Hamilton? " 

"  Not  since  the  first  days  of  your  illness." 

"  He  was  up  here  then?  " 

"  Yes,  he  was  here.  It  was  then  that — I  sent  him 
away." 

"  You  sent  him  away?  "  This  didn't  look  as  if  Ham- 
ilton had  played  the  coward.  The  Judge  was  puzzled. 
"  Why,  Marita,  why  did  you  send  him  away?  " 

"  Because  I  found  that  I  couldn't  trust  him.  He 
would  not  give  me  his  confidence  in  a  vital  matter,  and 
I  could  not  marry  him  after  he  refused  it." 

The  Judge  looked  at  Marita  thoughtfully. 

"  What  was  this  vital  matter?  "  he  asked  earnestly. 

"  I  learned  that  there  was  something  in  his  life 
which  would  prevent  me  from  marrying  him  if  I  knew 
it." 

"  Something  in  his  life? "  said  the  Judge,  so  much 
astonished  that  he  could  not  believe  he  had  heard  aright. 

"  Yes,"  Marita  answered,  with  increasing  agitation. 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  163 

"  I  asked  him  to  tell  me  what  it  was;  I  begged  him  to 
be  frank,  but  he  persisted  in  silence,  so  I  sent  him 
away.  How  could  I  do  otherwise  ?  And  yet — oh,  how 
could  I  have  told  him  to  go  for  any  reason?  Father, 
you  don't  know  how  hard  it  is,  you  don't  know  how  I 
love  him!  " 

"  Poor  child,"  murmured  the  Judge,  trying  to  soothe 
her  distress.  He  was  completely  mystified  at  this  new 
turn  of  affairs.  What  could  there  be  in  Hamilton's 
life,  and 

"  Marita,  how  did  you  learn  of  this  thing?  " 

She  had  dreaded  this  question,  and  now  that  it  had 
been  asked  Marita  could  not  summon  the  courage  to 
answer  it  fully.  After  a  moment's  hesitation,  she  said : 

"  It  came  to  me  accidentally." 

"  You're  very  sure  there  is  something?  " 

"  Yes." 

"You're  convinced  that  there  is  no  mistake?" 

Marita  could  not  stand  this  any  longer.  She  sprang 
to  her  feet,  exclaiming: 

"  Father,  how  can  you  ask  all  these  questions  when 
you  know  there  is  something  in  his  life!  " 

"I  know?" 

"  Of  course  you  do;  you  told  me  yourself." 


164.  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"I  told  you?" 

"  Certainly;  one  night  when  Grant  and  I  were  tak- 
ing care  of  you." 

"What— what  did  I  say?" 

"  You  said,  *  Don't  tell  her,  Hamilton,  don't  tell  her. 
She'll  never  marry  you  if  you  do.' ' 

"  Did  I  say  that?  "  he  asked  faintly,  feeling  as  if  he 
had  signed  his  own  death  warrant. 

"  Yes,  father,  you  did,  and  now  you  are  the  only 
one  who  can  help  me.  Tell  me — tell  me  what  it  is, 
this  awful  thing  that  you  think  would  keep  me  from 
marrying  him.  Don't  you  know  there  is  almost  noth- 
ing a  woman  will  not  forgive  when  she  loves  as  I  do? 
But  she  must  know  what  she  forgives.  Grant  is  not 
capable  of  a  meanness.  If  he  has  done  a  great  wrong, 
there  must  have  been  great  provocation;  if  he  has  com- 
mitted a  crime,  it  was  done  in  the  heat  of  passion. 
Whatever  it  is,  don't  you  see  that  I  cannot  pardon 
blindly?  Surely  you  understand,  you  always  have 
understood  me  so  well.  And  you  will  lift  this  load; 
oh,  father,  you  will  tell  me  what  shadows  his  life." 

Marita  had  spoken  so  rapidly  that  she  had  not  ob- 
served the  effect  of  her  words.  As  she  uttered  her  last 
appeal,  however,  she  noticed  the  Judge's  pallor,  and 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  165 

adding  in  her  impulsive  way,  "Not  now — not  now! 
I'm  going  to  get  you  some  brandy,"  she  hastened  from 
the  room. 

The  Judge  leaned  back  in  his  chair  more  stunned 
than  exhausted.  The  situation  was  appalling  to  him. 
He  saw  how  Marita  had  interpreted  those  fateful 
words;  he  marvelled  at  Hamilton's  heroic  silence;  he 
understood  how,  after  waiting  weeks  without  hearing 
that  the  Judge  had  spoken,  Grant  had  been  unable 
to  bear  it  longer  and  had  gone  abroad. 

At  first  it  seemed  to  the  Judge  that  there  was  only 
one  thing  for  him  to  do,  and  that  was  to  tell  Marita 
the  whole  truth;  but  after  a  little  he  began  to  won- 
der what  good  that  would  do.  He  knew  that  she  would 
never  marry  if  he  told  her,  and  gradually  he  came  to 
believe  that  she  might  as  well  think  Hamilton  un- 
worthy as  to  feel  herself  unfit.  True,  the  Judge 
winced  when  he  remembered  how  Hamilton  had  kept 
his  word  under  such  trying  circumstances.  He  was 
not  treating  squarely  a  man  who  had  sacrificed  so  much 
for  him,  but  the  Judge  had  long  been  accustomed  to 
consider  Marita  before  all  other  people,  and  he  chose 
what  he  thought  would  be  the  easiest  course  for  his 
daughter. 


1 66  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

When  Marita  returned  with  the  brandy,  her  father 
drained  the  glass,  and  then,  before  she  could  remon- 
strate, he  said: 

"  You  want  me  to  explain  the  words  I  spoke  in  my 
delirium;  but,  Marita,  I  cannot  feel  that  it  is  best  to 
explain  them."  His  heart  sank  when  he  saw  the  look 
on  her  face.  "  I  have  carefully  considered  the  matter, 
and  you  know,  dear,  that  I  could  only  decide  upon  what 
I  believe  to  be  best  for  you." 

Marita  scarcely  heard  his  last  words.  She  knew 
that  he  would  not  explain.  That  was  enough.  Her 
only  hope  was  gone. 

"  I  was  afraid  of  this,"  she  said,  speaking  with  the 
calmness  which  is  so  much  more  terrible  than  excite- 
ment. "  I  felt  sure  that  since  he  did  not  speak,  you 
would  not;  but  I  hoped " 

"  Marita,"  cried  the  Judge,  cut  to  the  quick  when 
she  attributed  his  silence  to  Hamilton's,  "  you  must 
forget  it  all;  you  are  young;  you  have  so  much  of  life 
before  you.  I  will  take  you  away;  I  will  be  every- 
thing to  you.  Oh,  my  child,"  and  he  opened  his  arms, 
"  no  one  can  ever  love  you  as  your  father  does." 


CHAPTER   XVII 

f  I  VHE  north  had  been  left  so  far  behind  that  the 
sleeper  was  uncomfortably  warm.  Ringing  for 
the  porter,  Marita  asked  him  to  raise  the  window. 
With  the  first  breath  of  balmy  southern  air,  she  had 
that  peculiar  sense  of  being  familiar  with  something 
she  knew  to  be  utterly  strange.  It  seemed  to  Marita 
that  she  had  always  lived  in  this  atmosphere.  She 
thought  of  how  the  frosty  air  tingled  on  the  morning 
they  left  Lindenhurst  as  one  might  think  of  something 
entirely  foreign.  Could  it  be  that  she  had  ever  gloried 
in  the  snow,  had  walked  miles  in  it  because  she  loved  to 
step  into  its  cold  whiteness,  and  delighted  in  feeling  it 
light  upon  her  face?  Thinking  of  the  ice-hung  ever- 
greens guarding  the  hills  at  home,  Marita  shivered  a 
little,  gladly  resting  her  eyes  on  the  sunlit  palms.  Oh, 
that  southern  sun!  It  had  such  a  penetrating  quality; 
it  entered  her  very  bones  and  instilled  its  fire  into  every 
drop  of  blood.  She  longed  to  get  out  into  it,  lie  in  it, 
bathe  in  it,  revel  in  it  for  hours;  reaching  her  hand 


1 68  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

out  of  the  car  window,  Marita  smiled  as  the  rays 
warmed  her  fingers. 

Her  father,  sitting  opposite,  watched  her  closely, 
observing  a  dreamy  look  in  her  eyes,  which  he  never 
remembered  having  seen  there  before.  When  Marita 
stretched  out  her  hand  in  the  sunlight,  the  gesture  al- 
most startled  the  Judge,  it  was  so  like  her  mother. 
Often  had  he  seen  Anita  Mondello  extend  her  arms 
to  the  burning  sun  of  Italy  in  the  mere  ecstasy  of 
luxuriating  in  its  warmth.  In  some  ways  Marita  re- 
sembled her  mother  so  much  that  at  times  the  Judge 
was  weighted  with  fear. 

"  Perhaps  I  have  made  a  mistake  in  bringing  her 
South,"  thought  the  Judge.  "  It  might  have  been 
wiser  to  have  kept  her  North.  Still,  the  girl  must 
fight  her  battles,  I  cannot  always  shield  her." 

He  knew  the  impossibility  of  protecting  his  daughter 
from  the  dangers  so  likely  to  beset  a  woman  of  her 
temperament.  This  always  worried  him;  and  now  he 
was  doubly  disturbed  by  Marita's  shaken  faith  in  hu- 
manity. She  had  always  been  so  trustful,  it  hurt  the 
Judge  cruelly  to  see  her  doubting  rather  than  believ- 
ing; yet  what  else  could  he  expect?  Sometimes  he 
thought  she  must  even  distrust  him,  thinking  that  he 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  169 

had  given  her  to  a  man  whose  life  held  something  in- 
explainable  to  her;  he  knew,  though,  that  she  attrib- 
uted his  action  to  a  desire  for  her  happiness.  Still, 
though  she  never  seemed  to  doubt  her  father,  it  was 
easy  to  see  that  Marita  felt  as  if  nothing  was  on  a  firm 
basis,  and  this  grieved  the  Judge  inexpressibly. 

"  My  dear,"  he  said,  leaning  towards  her  anxiously, 
"  do  you  like  the  South?  " 

"  Oh  yes,  father,  it's  glorious!  " 

"  Why  do  you  find  it  so  attractive?  Surely  this 
country  we  are  passing  through  is  prosaic  enough 
with  its  stretches  of  dry  grass  and  forlorn-looking 
palms." 

"  It  isn't  the  scenery;  it's  the  air — and  the  sun.  In 
the  North  you  never  feel  this  delicious  warmth  in 
every  vein;  up  there  the  sun  shines  on  you,  here  it 
shines  into  you." 

"  I'm  glad  you  enjoy  it,  dear,"  said  the  Judge, 
though  he  didn't  like  to  see  Marita  hold  her  hand  in 
the  sunlight  again. 

The  journey  was  soon  over  now,  and  after  they  ar- 
rived at  Palm  Beach  Marita  was  more  like  herself  than 
at  any  time  since  that  bitter  night  when  Hamilton  left 
Lindenhurst.  Here  was  something  new  to  enjoy,  and 


170  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

she  enjoyed  it  with  all  the  intensity  of  her  nature. 
From  the  windows  of  Marita's  room  at  The  Breakers 
she  could  feast  her  eyes  upon  masses  of  tropical  foliage 
stirred  by  breezes  from  the  ocean  lazily  lapping  the 
shore.  Nothing,  however,  delighted  her  as  much  as 
the  dreamy  lake,  so  different  from  the  river  at  home! 
Marita  was  accustomed  to  think  of  water  as  lively,  rip- 
pling, sparkling;  therefore  this  languorous  lake  was  a 
revelation  to  her.  She  would  drift  for  hours,  never 
caring  to  row,  as  she  once  did,  just  for  the  joy  of  the 
motion.  Sometimes  as  she  lay  in  her  boat,  basking 
in  the  sun  and  trailing  her  hand  in  the  tepid  water, 
Marita's  thoughts  went  back  to  the  woody  dell  by  the 
spring  which  she  and  Hamilton  had  visited  on  that 
happy  morning  when  love  lay  in  their  hearts,  unawak- 
ened,  though  stirring.  She  could  see  his  face  as  he 
reclined  at  her  feet,  looking  up  into  her  eyes  while  she 
told  of  the  part  that  nook  had  played  in  her  life.  How 
interested  he  had  been,  and  how  quick  to  shield  her 
from  reproof  when  they  returned  to  Lindenhurst  and 
Mrs.  Burton  had  suspected  Marita  of  a  wild  run.  Ma- 
rita thought,  too,  of  the  "  uncheckable  something," 
and  wondered  if  it  had  been  crushed  out  of  her;  not 
feeling  the  energetic  impulses  of  those  days,  she  did 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  171 

not  realize  that  it  was  smouldering  within  her  in  a  far 
more  dangerous  form. 

Then,  again,  Marita  lived  through  that  day  at 
Farno's,  when  Hamilton  had  taken  the  Doctor's  in- 
sult with  such  dignity,  and  later  had  saved  her  life; 
that  throbbing  night  at  Tuxedo,  when  their  hearts  had 
leapt  out  so  passionately;  that  first  radiant  day  as 
lovers,  and  all  the  happy  days  that  followed  until  her 
father's  illness  came  and  joy  went  out  of  her  life. 

Hamilton's  face  always  came  before  Marita  with 
painful  distinctness.  She  wished  the  vision  would 
grow  dim;  it  was  maddening  to  see  those  features  so 
clearly,  to  catch  the  lovelight  in  the  eyes,  the  tender 
smile  around  the  mouth,  and  when  the  noble  head  bent 
towards  her,  then  it  was  that  drifting  became  intoler- 
able, and  seizing  the  oars  she  would  pull  ashore  and 
walk  for  hours  up  and  down  the  avenues  of  palms  and 
big-leaved  plants. 


CHAPTER   XVIH 

"1%/TARITA  has  changed  since  we  came  here,"  re- 
marked Mrs.  Burton  as  she  strolled  along  the 
bank  of  the  lake  with  her  husband. 

"  In  what  way?  "  asked  the  Judge,  anxiously. 

"  Surely  you  must  have  noticed  her  unnatural  lassi- 
tude. She  seems  to  have  lost  all  desire  for  action,  and 
cares  only  to  lie  in  the  sunlight  or  drift  about  in  a  boat." 

"  I  see  her  walking  quite  often,"  he  said,  trying  to 
reassure  himself. 

"  She  never  walks  with  her  former  vim;  her  steps 
are  measured  where  they  used  to  be  brisk." 

"  Well,  my  dear,  you  must  remember  that  Marita 
is  wading  in  deep  waters.  Love  means  much  to  her, 
and  the  whole  course  of  her  being  has  been  turned 
back  from  its  natural  direction." 

"  I  appreciate  that,  but  I  don't  see  why  it  should 
affect  her  so  differently.  At  home  she  couldn't  do 
enough;  from  dawn  to  dark  she  was  tramping  the 
woods,  or  rowing,  or  galloping  over  the  hills  on  a 
horse." 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  173 

The  Judge  made  no  reply;  he  contented  himself  with 
thinking  that  Mrs.  Burton  might  understand  if  she 
had  ever  seen  Anita  Mondello  in  Italy.  His  eyes 
wandered  absent-mindedly  over  the  lake,  seeking  Ma- 
rita's  boat.  It  was  there,  floating  aimlessly  about, 
while  Marita  lay  on  the  cushions,  her  veins  throbbing 
with  the  intoxication  of  the  southern  air.  During  the 
long  afternoon  she  drifted  to  and  fro,  while  her  father 
sat  on  the  shore,  reading  aloud  to  Mrs.  Burton,  who 
occasionally  looked  up  from  her  embroidery  to  see 
how  far  the  capricious  breeze  had  carried  the  boat  from 
the  point  where  she  saw  it  last. 

Marita  lingered  on  the  water  until  the  sun  sank 
so  low  that  the  Judge  had  to  signal  for  her  to  come 
ashore. 

"  Now  look  at  that,"  said  Mrs.  Burton.  "  Do  you 
see  how  she's  pulling  in,  first  one  oar  and  then  the 
other?  She  never  rowed  like  that  in  the  North;  she 
was  only  too  glad  to  use  both  oars  and  pull  with  all  her 
might,  especially  since  her  trouble  came.  Why,  I've 
seen  her  rowing  on  the  river  at  racing  speed;  she  would 
come  in  too  tired  to  dress  for  dinner." 

"  She's  almost  too  late  to  dress  for  it  now." 

"  Marita  won't  care." 


174  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  That's  the  trouble,"  said  the  Judge,  his  face  dark- 
ening. "  She  doesn't  care." 

When  the  boat  touched  land,  Marita  didn't  spring 
out  as  she  used  to  in  the  old  days;  she  leisurely  stepped 
from  the  boat  to  the  shore,  and  as  she  did  so  the  Judge 
saw  a  new  grace  in  every  move.  It  was  an  indescrib- 
able charm  which  had  blossomed  out  in  this  sunny 
clime,  and  the  Judge  would  rather  have  lost  his  right 
hand  than  to  have  found  this  charm  in  his  daughter. 

"  You  are  late,  my  dear,"  he  said,  fastening  the  boat. 

"  Time  doesn't  matter,"  returned  Marita,  listlessly. 

"  You  forget  that  you  have  a  toilet  to  make,"  Mrs. 
Burton  mildly  suggested. 

"Bother  toilets!  Who  cares  whether  one  dresses 
or  not? " 

"  I  care,  Marita,"  and  the  Judge  looked  at  her  re- 
proachfully. 

"  You  dear  father,  of  course  you  care,"  she  said,  in- 
stantly repentant.  "  To  please  you  I'll  make  myself 
gorgeous  to  behold." 

Marita  kept  her  word,  creating  quite  a  sensation 
when  she  entered  the  dining-hall,  radiant  in  a  gown  of 
deep  crimson  crepe.  The  whiteness  of  her  superbly 
moulded  shoulders  was  enhanced  by  a  large  corsage 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  175 

knot  of  black  velvet,  and  she  carried  an  exquisite  fan 
of  black  lace. 

After  a  late  dinner  Marita  went  with  Mrs.  Burton 
to  the  writing-room,  while  the  Judge  smoked  his  eve- 
ning cigar.  She  was  just  finishing  a  letter  when  some 
one  paused  behind  her  chair  and  she  heard  a  familiar 
voice  saying  : 

"  Palm  Beach  seems  to  agree  with  you." 

"  Why,  Doctor  Earle !  "  Marita  exclaimed  in  aston- 
ishment, looking  around  to  find  the  Doctor  and  his 
sister,  Virginia,  smiling  at  her  surprise. 

"  I'm  awfully  glad  to  find  you  here,"  said  Virginia, 
who  had  the  great  admiration  for  Marita  that  a  young- 
girl  often  has  for  an  attractive  woman.  "  We  were 
afraid  you  might  have  gone  on  to  some  other  place." 

"  How  did  you  come  to  wander  down  here  ?  "  asked 
Marita,  not  altogether  pleased  at  the  Doctor's  arrival. 

"  Virginia  had  an  attack  of  bronchitis,"  the  Doctor 
replied,  "  and  I  thought  a  southern  trip  would  do  her 
good.  Of  course  we  came  to  Palm  Beach,  no  other 
place  had  so  much  attraction." 

Marita  was  annoyed.  The  Doctor  had  known  her 
long  enough,  she  thought,  to  find  out  that  she  hated 
such  speeches. 


176  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  It's  delightful  here,"  was  all  she  said. 

"  I  hope  you're  not  sorry  we  came  ?  "  asked  the  Doc- 
tor. 

"  I'm  very  glad  to  see  you,  especially  Virginia,"  said 
Marita,  smiling  at  the  large-eyed  girl. 

"  You  are  not  exactly  complimentary,"  said  the  Doc- 
tor, rather  amused  at  her  frankness. 

"  I  never  am.  I'm  quite  fond  of  being  a  miser  in 
that  respect." 

"  That's  true,  Miss  Burton.  Any  one  who  wins  a 
compliment  from  you  deserves  it." 

"  I  think  it's  lovely  to  be  like  that,"  said  Virginia, 
her  face  full  of  adoring  enthusiasm. 

"  You're  looking  very  well,"  remarked  the  Doctor, 
conscious  of  the  new  charm  the  Judge  had  noticed. 
"  How  is  your  father?  " 

"  Much  improved;  the  South  has  done  wonders  for 
him.  Come  over  here  where  mother  is;  she'll  be  so 
surprised." 

As  Marita  led  the  way  down  the  long  room,  Virginia 
whispered  to  her  brother: 

"  Isn't  she  glorious  to-night?  " 

The  Doctor  smiled  and  nodded,  saying  to  himself: 
"  She's  more  than  that,  she's  maddening." 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  177 

They  had  scarcely  exchanged  greetings  with  Mrs. 
Burton  when  the  Judge  appeared  in  the  doorway,  and 
seeing  them,  hastened  forward. 

"  Well,  I  declare !  Where'd  you  hail  from,  Doc- 
tor?" 

"  T$ew  York  City  and  a  snowstorm  that's  almost  a 
blizzard,"  said  the  Doctor,  shaking  hands  with  the 
Judge. 

"  You  don't  say  so !  Virginia,  how  ido  you  do,  my 
dear." 

"  I'm  better,  thank  you;  came  down  here  to  get 
well." 

"  You  selected  a  mighty  good  place,  and  I'm  glad 
to  see  you  both.  We  needed  a  little  enlivening.  I 
suspect  that  girl  of  mine  was  getting  lonely,  especially 
evenings  when  the  dancing's  going  on." 

"  That's  a  figment  of  father's  imagination,"  said 
Marita. 

"  I  hope  it  isn't,"  replied  the  Doctor. 

"  Suppose  we  go  over  to  The  Poinciana  now,"  sug- 
gested the  Judge.  "  It's  a  pleasant  walk,  and  they'll 
be  dancing  there;  perhaps  you'd  like  to  take  a  turn." 

"  I  wouldn't  like  anything  better,"  said  the  Bo'ctor, 

hoping  Marita  would  express  a  desire  to  go. 
12 


178  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  What  do  you  say,  Marita?  "  asked  her  father. 

"  I'll  go  if  the  rest  of  you  care  to,"  she  an- 
swered. 

Mrs.  Burton  looked  at  Marita  sorrowfully,  thinking 
of  the  days  when  she  would  have  accepted  the  sugges- 
tion with  enthusiasm. 

"  Let  us  go,  then,"  said  the  Judge,  hoping  a  dance 
would  arouse  Marita. 

"  You  girls  must  have  some  light  wraps,"  insisted 
the  Doctor. 

They  went  after  those  filmy  nothings  which  women 
wear  with  evening  gowns,  though  they  found  it  too 
warm  outside  for  even  a  covering  of  liberty  silk. 

"  Isn't  this  a  wonderful  walk? "  asked  Marita  of  the 
Doctor,  as  they  went  on  ahead  of  the  others,  passing 
between  the  rows  of  stately  palmettos. 

"  Wonderful,"  he  replied,  looking  at  her  shoulders 
gleaming  like  marble  in  the  moonlight. 

"  I  never  tire  of  this  promenade  between  the  two 
hotels.  It's  always  fascinating  at  any  hour.  I  can't 
tell  whether  it  is  more  witching  in  the  heat  of  the  sun 
or  the  light  of  the  moon." 

"  Quite  like  some  people,"  said  the  Doctor,  his  voice 
a  little  unsteady. 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  179 

"  Did  you  leave  things  prospering  at  home?  "  asked 
Marita,  seeing  that  she  must  keep  the  Doctor  to  com- 
monplaces. 

"  The  town  is  absolutely  dead  this  winter;  I  couldn't 
stand  it  any  longer,  you  see." 

"  How  about  your  work;  could  you  come  away  and 
leave  all  your  patients?  " 

"  Turned  them  over  to  another  man." 

"  Weren't  you  sorry  to  do  that?  Don't  you  get  in- 
terested in  cases,  and  want  to  carry  them  through? " 

"  Oh  yes,  sometimes;  still  they're  only  cases,  they're 
not  people  to  us,  you  know." 

"  Surely  all  doctors  don't  feel  that  way." 

"  How  can  they  do  good  work  if  they  allow  their 
sympathies  to  become  involved?  " 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  said  Marita  thoughtfully,  "  that 
a  physician  should  have  the  keenest  sympathy,  because 
it  is  through  sympathy  that  we  understand  many 
things  that  without  it  would  remain  unknown  to  the 
end  of  the  chapter." 

"  I  fail  to  see  how  sympathy  is  going  to  help  you 
diagnose  a  case." 

"  A  physician's  province  doesn't  lie  entirely  within 
the  bounds  of  medical  science.  Perhaps  sympathy 


180  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

wouldn't  help  you  diagnose  a  case,  but  it  might  help 
you  vastly  in  the  treatment  of  it." 

"  Don't  you  know  that  if  a  doctor  allows  himself  to 
become  personally  interested,  his  treatment  may  not 
be  as  severe  as  the  case  demands?  " 

"  It  always  makes  me  cross  to  hear  any  one  say 
that,"  said  Marita,  with  an  energy  that  would  have  de- 
lighted her  father.  "  Why  should  a  doctor  allow  his 
sympathies  to  interfere  with  what  his  judgment  de- 
clares to  be  the  right  treatment?  I've  no  patience  with 
a  man  who  can't  do  the  right  thing  for  a  patient  be- 
cause he  is  sorry  for  the  pain  or  discomfort  it  may 
bring." 

"  You  think,  then,  that  a  physician  should  have 
keen  sympathies  under  perfect  control?  " 

"  That's  exactly  what  I  think." 

"  Miss  Burton,  you  ought  to  be  a  doctor's  wife." 

"  Oh,  no  indeed!  I'd  have  something  to  say  about 
his  business,  and  that  he  wouldn't  like  at  all." 

"  He'd  like  anything  you  said,"  remarked  the  Doc- 
tor, wishing  they  had  not  reached  the  ballroom. 

Now  that  Marita  saw  the  polished  floor  and  heard 
the  tempting  strains  of  a  waltz,  she  wanted  to  dance, 
though  it  was  not  the  lively  longing  she  used  to  have, 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  181 

it  was  rather  a  languorous  desire  just  to  sway  her  body 
and  move  her  feet  with  the  music. 

The  Doctor  didn't  ask  her  to  dance;  he  merely 
slipped  his  arm  about  her,  and  they  glided  off,  slowly, 
dreamily,  circling  gracefully  around  and  around.  A 
woman  is  never  more  attractive  than  when  she  is  danc- 
ing. Her  color  deepens,  her  eyes  brighten,  her  lips 
part,  her  hair  fluffs,  her  whole  figure  expresses  every 
physical  grace  she  has. 

The  Judge  and  Mrs.  Burton  and  Virginia  were  not 
the  only  ones  absorbed  in  watching  Marita  dance.  As 
they  glided  in  and  out  among  the  dancers,  Marita  was 
conscious  of  the  intent  gaze  of  a  man  who  stood  near 
her  father.  Once  her  eyes  met  his  directly,  and  it 
seemed  to  her  that  she  had  never  seen  a  more  com- 
pelling look.  Personal  magnetism  is  a  mysterious 
force.  It  arises  from  so  many  different  causes,  and  is 
manifested  in  such  various  ways.  Whatever  magnetic 
power  this  man  possessed  was  of  the  kind  which  at 
once  attracts  and  repels.  He  was  very  handsome,  his 
large,  speaking  eyes  overarched  with  heavy  brows,  his 
full  lips  partly  covered  by  an  unusually  well-shaped 
mustache.  Though  his  chin  was  somewhat  irreso- 
lute, there  were  lines  in  his  face  which  made  one  feel 


1 82  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

that  his  determination  was  strong  enough  to  make  it 
most  unpleasant  for  any  one  who  opposed  his  will.  He 
was  tall  and  so  splendidly  proportioned  that  many  a 
sculptor  longed  to  model  his  figure. 

With  a  woman's  quick  eye,  Marita  noticed  these 
things  when  the  dance  was  over  and  he  chanced  to  be 
looking  away  from  her  as  she  passed  him  with  the 
Doctor.  Just  as  she  thought  they  had  left  him  be- 
hind, the  stranger  stepped  up  to  them,  saying  : 

"  Earle — Henry  Earle,  don't  you  remember  me?  " 

The  Doctor  looked  blank  for  an  instant,  then  a  smile 
broke  over  his  face,  and  he  held  out  his  hand  in  cordial 
greeting. 

"  Of  course  I  remember  you.  How  are  you,  and 
how've  you  been  all  this  time?  " 

"  Well  enough  to  keep  on  earth." 

"  Not  commonplace,"  thought  Marita. 

"  Miss  Burton,  allow  me  to  present  an  old  college 
friend,  Mr.  Channing." 

Again  their  eyes  met,  this  closer  contact  bringing 
to  Marita  a  still  greater  sense  of  his  magnetic  power. 
She  could  scarcely  withdraw  her  gaze,  yet  she  wanted 
to;  and  afterwards,  though  she  tried  to  evade  his  look, 
several  tunes  her  eyes  were  irresistibly  drawn  to  his. 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  183 

When  the  orchestra  played  the  first  strains  of  an- 
other waltz  Marita  wanted  to  pick  up  her  skirts  and  run 
away.  She  knew  Mr.  Channing  would  ask  her  to 
dance — she  knew  it  would  be  discourteous  to  refuse,  yet 
the  thought  of  dancing  with  him  sent  a  little  cold 
shiver  down  her  spine. 

The  music  swelled  louder,  and  Mr.  Channing  looked 
at  Marita  opening  his  lips  to  speak,  when  the  Judge 
touched  her  arm. 

"  Marita,  your  mother  and  I  are  going  back  now, 
and " 

"  Very  well,  I  am  ready,"  she  answered  quickly,  not 
giving  him  a  chance  to  tell  her  that  she  could  remain 
and  return  later  with  Virginia  and  the  Doctor. 

The  Judge  was  about  to  urge  her  to  stay  longer, 
but  her  eyes  told  him  that  she  wanted  to  go,  and  since 
her  wish  was  always  his  law,  he  said  nothing.  After 
the  Judge  exchanged  a  few  words  with  Mr.  Channing, 
whom  the  Doctor  presented,  they  all  crossed  over  to 
where  Mrs.  Burton  and  Virginia  were  sitting.  As  they 
threaded  their  way  in  and  out  among  those  who  were 
watching  the  dancers,  Marita  went  first  with  her  father. 
She  knew  Mr.  Channing  never  lost  sight  of  her  for  a 
moment;  she  felt  that  his  eyes  followed  every  move; 


184  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

she  longed  to  get  out  into  the  air;  it  was  stifling  in  the 
ballroom;  the  perfume — something — was  suffocating. 

Marita  didn't  know  quite  how  it  happened,  but  when 
she  looked  about  for  her  wrap,  she  saw  it  on  Mr.  Chan- 
ning's  arm.  Instinct  seemed  to  have  told  him  which 
one  belonged  to  her. 

"  You  are  looking  for  this?  "  he  asked,  laying  it  over 
her  shoulders,  and  leaving  a  burning  spot  where  his 
hand  touched  her  skin.  Then  he  bent  his  lips  close 
to  her  ear,  saying:  "  We  shall  dance  together  some 
other  night." 


CHAPTER   XIX 

TV/TARITA  came  down  the  next  morning  feeling  con- 
fident that  she  had  shaken  off  the  spell  of  the 
previous  night.  She  was  dressed  in  a  dark  blue  walking 
skirt,  a  white  shirt  waist  of  the  simplest  style  and  a 
perfectly  plain  sailor  hat. 

"  There's  no  glamour  about  such  a  costume,"  she 
said  to  herself  as  she  stood  before  the  mirror  adjust- 
ing her  linen  collar,  "  and  a  sailor  is  the  most  unbe- 
coming thing  I  can  wear." 

On  entering  the  dining-hall  Marita  was  not  surprised 
to  see  Mr.  Channing  breakfasting  at  the  Doctor's  table. 
She  didn't  know  how  long  he  had  been  at  Palm  Beach 
nor  where  he  was  staying,  but  something  told  her  that 
he  would  be  at  The  Breakers  this  morning.  Though 
Marita  felt  so  sure  of  herself,  when  Mr.  Channing 
looked  up  with  a  smile  of  recognition,  she  quivered  like 
a  bird  under  the  gaze  of  a  snake. 

"  I'm  thankful  their  table  isn't  near  ours,"  she 
thought.  "  I  hate  that  man,  and  I  won't  have  any- 
thing to  do  with  him." 


1 86  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

Yet  after  breakfast,  when  Mr.  Charming  approached 
Marita  on  the  veranda,  she  didn't  retreat  as  she  might 
have  done ;  she  lingered  there,  talking  with  him  until  the 
Doctor  came  up  and  suggested  a  morning  on  the  lake. 

"  I  know  Miss  Burton  is  fond  of  the  water,"  said  the 
Doctor.  "  I  have  seen  her  at  home  rowing  as  if  she 
were  training  for  the  Harvard  crew." 

"  You  won't  see  me  doing  that  down  here,"  returned 
Marita.  "  I  enjoy  this  lake  as  much  as  I  did  our 
river  " — she  hesitated  an  instant — "  though  in  quite  a 
different  way." 

"  How  different  ?  "  inquired  Mr.  Channing. 

"  Why,  up  home  I  always  had  an  objective  point 
and  was  intent  on  getting  there.  Here  I  only  want  to 
drift;  I  don't  care  where  the  breeze  takes  me,  seldom 
using  my  oars.  Perhaps  it's  dormant  laziness  cropping 
out,  though  it  may  be  the  climate,  which  is  certainly 
enervating." 

"  And  delicious,"  added  Mr.  Channing  with  a  rap- 
turous droop  of  the  eyelids. 

Marita  turned  her  head  away,  conscious  of  a  peculiar 
sinking  sensation. 

"Now,"  said  the  Doctor,  "I'll  find  Virginia,  and 
we'll  get  a  boat  for  four." 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  187 

"  Oh,  I  can't  go  with  you,"  Marita  hastened  to  say. 
"  Father  has  already  engaged  our  bicycle  chairs  for  the 
morning."  She  didn't  add  that  she  had  purposely 
planned  the  expedition  to  avoid  being  with  them. 

"  You  can't  go !  "  exclaimed  the  Doctor,  with  evident 
disappointment. 

Mr.  Channing  said  nothing,  he  only  smiled. 

Marita  saw  that  smile,  and  was  ready  to  stamp  her 
foot  in  vexation. 

"  Not  this  time,"  she  said,  speaking  abruptly  and 
turning  to  go. 

The  Doctor  would  have  gladly  changed  the  boat  trip 
for  one  in  the  bicycle  chairs,  had  he  received  any  en- 
couragement from  Marita;  but  her  manner  was  rather 
forbidding,  and  he  felt  that  it  would  not  be  wise  to 
suggest  such  an  arrangement. 

Mr.  Channing  merely  remarked:  "  Since  Miss  Bur- 
ton cannot  go  with  us  to-day,  of  course  she  will  go  to- 
morrow." 

"  Certainly,"  she  said,  speaking  over  her  shoulder 
as  she  walked  away.  Marita  hoped  this  ready  consent 
would  relieve  Mr.  Channing  of  the  impression  that  she 
wished  to  avoid  him.  It  was  most  disconcerting  to 
feel  that  this  man  read  her  like  print;  that  he  knew 


BECAUSE  of  POWER 


her  desire  to  evade  his  presence,  could  even  smile  over 
this  proof  of  his  power.  "  He  is  common  clay,"  she 
thought,  as  she  closed  the  door  of  her  room,  "  and  I'm 
worse  than  clay  to  feel  his  influence.  Why  did  he 
come  into  my  life  ?  Weren't  my  heartstrings  stretched 
to  their  utmost?  Wasn't  it  hard  enough  to  live  with- 
out Grant?  Didn't  I  know  that  men  were  unworthy 
of  trust?  I  knew  the  hurt  of  love  turned  back  upon 
itself.  Why  do  I  have  to  feel  the  smart  of  such  a 
thing  as  this?  I  despise  the  man,  yet  I'm  drawn  to  him 
like  a  needle  to  the  magnet.  It's  disgraceful,  but  it's 
true,  and  there's  no  use  denying  it." 

It  was  not  surprising  that  Marita  was  somewhat  ab- 
sent-minded during  her  morning  ride.  She  felt,  in 
an  indefinite  sort  of  way,  that  it  was  to  be  a  battle  to 
the  end;  yet  while  she  shuddered  at  the  thought  of  what 
the  end  might  be,  a  dreamy  look  stole  into  her  eyes 
a  look  such  as  the  Judge  had  seen  in  the  eyes  of  Anita 
Mondello  when  the  sunny  days  drew  to  a  close  and  the 
air  was  heavy  with  perfume. 

Always  keenly  alive  to  anything  that  concerned  Ma- 
rita, the  Judge  scented  some  kind  of  disturbance  when 
Marita  insisted  on  lunching  at  The  Poinciana,  and  not 
returning  to  The  Breakers  until  late  in  the  afternoon. 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  189 

"  What's  the  matter,  honey?  Which  man  bothers 
you,  or  is  it  both?" 

"  Both  of  them,  father,  all  of  them — everybody  but 
you." 

The  Judge  was  deeply  pained. 

"  Poor  child,"  he  thought,  "  must  she  go  through 
life  questioning  every  man's  truth?  Will  she  never 
trust  again,  but  always  doubt?  How  her  outlook  has 
changed — once  so  bright,  and  now  so  dark."  The 
Judge  looked  at  Marita,  thinking  of  how  a  few  words 
from  him  would  restore  her  belief  in  Hamilton.  If 
lie  had  known  how  she  stood  on  the  verge  of  an  awful 
abyss,  he  would  have  told  her  everything,  realizing 
that  the  thought  of  Hamilton,  true  and  blameless, 
would  be  her  greatest  safeguard;  but  he  did  not  know, 
and  he  did  not  speak. 

When  they  reached  The  Breakers  it  was  near  the 
dinner  hour,  and  Marita  went  directly  to  her  room, 
where  she  dressed  herself  all  in  black.  A  day  out-of- 
doors  usually  heightened  her  color,  but  Marita  was 
pale  to-night,  her  eyes  shining  with  unnatural  bright- 
ness as  she  hooked  the  low-cut  gown  and  pulled  the 
long  black  lace  sleeves  well  over  the  hands. 

"  Black  is  very  becoming  to  you." 


190  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

It  was  after  dinner,  and  Mr.  Channing  was  sitting 
beside  Marita  in  the  drawing-room.  His  voice  vi- 
brated in  her  ears,  stirring  every  fibre  in  her  body;  it 
required  an  effort  to  carelessly  remark: 

"  Most  people  think  differently." 

"  Probably  because  you  look  so  patrician  and  unap- 
proachable in  black." 

"  You  like  to  have  people  look  unapproachable, 
then? " 

"  Decidedly;  I  find  more  pleasure  in  approaching 
them  when  barriers  must  be  levelled." 

"  Suppose  you  are  not  allowed  to  approach?  " 

"  I  seldom  fail — when  I  try." 

Though  these  words  were  uttered  in  a  low  tone, 
Marita  felt  as  if  they  had  been  shouted  out  to  the 
world.  She  seemed  to  hear  them  on  all  sides,  every 
mouth  in  the  room  seemed  to  open,  saying,  "  He  seldom 
fails — when  he  tries."  Marita  couldn't  sit  still,  she  arose 
and  walked  over  to  the  piano.  "  He  shall  fail  this 
time,"  she  said  through  shut  teeth,  trying  to  keep  her 
hand  from  trembling  as  she  took  up  a  sheet  of  music. 

Mr.  Channing  deliberately  followed  her. 

"  Are  you  going  to  give  me  the  dance  to-night  that 
I  should  have  had  last  night?  " 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  191 

"  No,"  said  Marita,  looking  him  straight  in  the  face, 
"  I  am  not  going  to  dance  to-night." 

Again  she  saw  the  exasperating  smile  of  the  morning 
hovering  around  his  lips. 

"  The  dance  will  keep,"  Mr.  Channing  replied.  He 
spoke  quietly,  but  Marita  knew  that  his  calmness  was 
dangerous.  She  thought  of  the  lull  before  the  storm, 
of  how  often  she  had  waited  beneath  the  mountain 
during  that  ominous  pause  when  all  Nature  is  still, 
gathering  her  forces  for  an  outbreak.  She  thought, 
too,  of  how  the  mountain  had  shielded  her,  of  how  the 
storm  had  raged  in  its  wild  fury,  and  left  her  un- 
harmed. Where,  now,  was  the  mountain?  The  lull 
was  here,  the  storm  was  coming — and  she  saw  no  pro- 
tecting mountain. 

"  Miss  Burton,"  said  the  Doctor,  coming  up  with 
Virginia,  "  Do  you  never  delight  these  people  with 
your  music?  " 

"  Oh,  no,"  answered  Marita,  "  it  is  altogether  too 
public." 

"  You  ought  to  hear  her  play,  Mr.  Channing,"  said 
Virginia,  ever  ready  to  sing  Marita's  praises.  "  She 
can  make  a  violin  talk." 

"  I  can  imagine  she  might." 


1 92  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  If  you  could  only  play  for  us,"  continued  Virginia, 
addressing  Marita  with  great  earnestness,  "  it  would  be 
so  heavenly!  " 

"  I'm  very  sorry,"  Marita  replied,  "  but  surely  you 
can  understand  my  reluctance  to  play  here  with  so 
many  strangers  around." 

"Then  why  not  play  outside,  down  by  the  lake?" 
suggested  Mr.  Channing. 

"  Just  the  thing !  "  exclaimed  Virginia.  "  You  will, 
won't  you? " 

"Do,"  urged  the  Doctor.  "It  would  be  delight- 
ful." 

Marita  didn't  want  to  play,  yet  it  would  be  ungra- 
cious to  refuse,  and  she  dreaded  seeing  Mr.  Channing's 
lips  curl  with  the  smile  she  had  seen  twice  to-day. 

"  If  you  really  care  so  much  about  it,  I'll  go  for  the 
violin." 

"  Thank  you  very  much,"  said  the  Doctor,  with  an 
eloquent  look.  "  We'll  wait  for  you  on  the  veranda." 

Marita  soon  appeared,  carrying  her  violin  and  ac- 
companied by  the  Judge  and  Mrs.  Burton.  They 
joined  the  others,  and  after  passing  through  the 
palmetto  walk,  wound  in  and  out  among  the  palms 
following  a  path  so  figured  by  the  moonlight  that 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  193 

Marita  said  "  it  resembled  a  strip  of  black  and  white 
brocade." 

By  the  time  they  had  reached  the  lake,  almost 
motionless  in  the  silver  radiance,  Marita  felt  like  re- 
signing herself  to  its  coolness.  Her  cheeks  burned, 
the  tropical  fragrance  was  stifling,  the  atmosphere 
seemed  charged  with  a  choking  quality.  The  moon 
touched  all  things  with  a  languorous  charm,  and  Ma- 
rita thought  she  had  never  seen  nature  so  weirdly 
beautiful. 

Marita  stood  a  moment,  gazing  out  over  the  water. 
For  the  first  time  in  her  life  she  dreaded  to  take  up 
her  violin.  How  could  she  touch  those  strings  when 
her  heart  was  so  weighted  with  fear?  Her  fingers 
tightened  on  the  graceful  neck  as  Mr.  Channing  came 
close  to  her  side  and  almost  whispered: 

"  Now  come ;  play.  Let  your  violin  speak  your 
thoughts;  let  it  voice  all  the  dreams  behind  those 
eyes;  let  every  note  tell  of  your  glorious  fire.  I  long 
to  listen.  Play." 

His  passionate  tones  held  Marita  spellbound.  She 
stood  motionless,  unable  to  raise  her  hand.  It  was  as  if 
she  had  been  hypnotized,  entirely  deprived  of  volition. 

"  Play,"  he  said  again,  "  play — for  me" 
13 


BECAUSE  of  POWER 


Mechanically  she  lifted  her  violin,  placed  it  under 
her  chin  and  drew  the  bow  across  the  strings.  "With 
the  sound  of  the  first  note  the  charm  was  broken.  Ma- 
rita  drew  away  from  Mr.  Channing  as  she  played,  a 
flood  of  indignation  sweeping  aside  every  other  feel- 
ing. How  dared  he  speak  to  her  like  that?  No  man 
had  ever  approached  her  in  that  way  before,  and  if  he 
thought  to  hear  an  outpouring,  he  was  very  much  mis- 
taken. Then  the  realization  of  her  own  weakness 
came  to  her  so  clearly  that  everything  else  was  lost  in 
a  wave  of  remorse.  Strains  of  such  sadness  filled  the 
night  that  the  Judge's  heart  sank,  the  Doctor's  brow 
wrinkled  and  Mr.  Channing  ground  his  teeth.  Marita 
played  on  and  on,  not  stopping  at  all,  blending  one 
thing  into  another.  Once  more  she  breathed  freely; 
for  the  time  at  least  she  had  shaken  off  the  fascination 
of  this  man;  yet  there  was  no  light  joy  in  her  libera- 
tion, there  was  only  regret  that  such  a  power  could  in- 
fluence her  so  deeply. 

"  You're  not  in  the  mood  for  music  to-night,"  said 
the  Judge,  when  at  last  Marita  paused. 

"  Yes,  I  am,"  she  replied  decidedly. 

"Your  music  is  so  sad,"  said  the  Doctor.  "It  is 
strangely  unlike  yourself." 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  195 

"  Music  is  always  an  expression  of  one's  inner  self," 
answered  Marita. 

"  Suppose  you  play  something  more  in  harmony 
with  this  southern  night,"  Mr.  Channing  remarked.  It 
was  well  that  Marita  did  not  see  the  expression  of  his 
face. 

"  I  know  of  nothing  more  appropriate  than  this,"  she 
retorted,  beginning  an  exquisite  rendition  of  the  "  Ave 
Maria." 

"  She's  punishing  some  one,"  thought  the  Judge, 
wondering  and  worrying  a  little. 

As  soon  as  the  last  note  sounded  the  Judge  arose, 
and  no  one  demurred  when  he  led  the  way  back  to  the 
hotel,  walking  beside  his  daughter.  They  stopped  a 
moment  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs  before  leaving  the 
others. 

"  Good-night,"  said  Mr.  Channing,  speaking  so  low 
that  only  Marita  heard  his  words.  "  I  shall  never  ask 
you  to  play  again." 


CHAPTEK   XX 

A  LL  through  the  night  Marita  battled  with  herself. 
She  was  wrought  up  to  such  a  pitch  that  sleep 
was  impossible.  It  never  occurred  to  her  to  undress; 
she  walked  the  floor  in  her  black  gown,  questioning, 
blaming,  accusing  herself.  The  situation  was  perfectly 
clear  to  her.  She  realized  the  danger  of  Mr.  Chan- 
ning's  presence ;  she  knew  he  might  influence  her  again, 
and  perhaps  another  time  music  would  not  come  to  the 
rescue.  Marita  understood  his  power;  she  knew  her 
own  weakness,  though  never  dreaming  that  she  had  to 
contend  against  the  blood  of  Italy. 

Standing  by  the  window  she  drew  in  long  breaths 
of  the  wonderful  air,  gazing  wistfully  into  the  luxuri- 
ant moonlit  f  oliage. 

"  Why  are  we  put  in  this  beautiful  world,"  she 
thought,  "  only  to  wear  ourselves  out  in  struggle?  Is 
it  not  enough  to  wreck  a  girl's  life ;  might  not  the  wreck 
be  allowed  to  drift  without  sinking  into  the  depths? 
Oh,  it  is  cruel!  First  to  lose  faith  in  the  man  you  love, 
and  then  to  lose  faith  in  yourself.  It  was  bad  enough 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  197 

to  know  that  Grant  isn't  worthy  of  trust;  it's  worse  to 
know  that  I  can  be  swayed  like  this.  I  won't  be 
swayed;  I'll  turn  my  back  on  this  place  to-morrow! 
Father  will  gladly  take  me  away  if  he  knows  I  want 
to  go." 

Marita  was  so  taken  with  this  idea  of  leaving  that 
she  wanted  to  pack  her  trunk  at  once.  For  a  time  she 
thought  only  of  the  relief  of  getting  away  from  Mr. 
Channing.  It  was  such  an  easy  way  of  escaping,  and 
seemed  to  her  the  only  thing  to  do.  Then  she  fell  to 
thinking  of  the  actual  going,  the  final  good-by,  and  Mr. 
Channing's  face  rose  before  her — with  that  smile. 
Heavens!  What  an  admission  departure  would  be; 
how  well  he  would  know  why  she  went.  Should  she 
give  him  such  proof  of  his  power?  Never!  What  was 
she  made  of  any  way?  Was  she  to  turn  coward  and 
run  away  from  the  fight?  Where  was  the  spirit  that 
had  always  characterized  her  every  action?  Was  it  to 
be  drugged  by  the  climate,  steeped  in  fascination,  sub- 
dued like  some  nerveless  thing?  No,  it  should  rise  up 
and  sustain  her.  She  would  not  go;  she  would  stay;  she 
would  brave  every  advance;  she  would  float  the  flag 
of  defiance,  hoping  for  strength  to  conquer. 

While  Marita  was  reaching  this  decision  clouds  had 


198  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

frequently  darkened  the  moon.  Gradually  they  gath- 
ered into  a  great  black  mass,  and  as  the  first  grayness 
of  dawn  appeared,  the  rain  dashed  against  the  window 
panes. 

Exhausted  by  her  long  vigil,  Marita  threw  herself 
upon  the  bed,  sick  at  heart  and  discouraged,  yet  grap- 
pling her  determination  to  win  the  struggle.  Her  last 
conscious  thought  was,  "•  I  hope  it  keeps  on  raining, 
then  there'll  be  no  boating." 

Maritas  wish  was  not  granted;  it  stopped  raining 
long  before  she  was  awakened  by  a  tap  on  the  door. 

"  Marita,  aren't  you  coming  to  breakfast?  " 

"  Yes,  mother,  in  just  a  few  minutes/'  she  said, 
springing  to  her  feet. 

Marita  felt  as  if  her  clothing  had  grown  fast  to  her 
body. 

"  What  would  mother  think  if  she  could  see  me  like 
this!  How  foolish  not  to  undress,  and  I've  slept  so 
late  that  a  bath  before  breakfast  is  out  of  the  question. 
I  wonder  if  hot  water  will  remove  that  darkness  under 
my  eyes? " 

Dressing  hurriedly,  Marita  reached  the  table  just  as 
the  Judge  and  Mrs.  Burton  were  finishing  their  morn- 
ing meal. 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  199 

"  Her  late  sleep  hasn't  rested  her  much,"  thought 
the  Judge.  "  What's  the  matter  with  the  child  any- 
way? There's  something  wrong,  I  know." 

Marita  saw  that  her  father  was  watching  her  closely. 
"  Dear  father,  if  he  only  knew,  how  grieved  he  would 
be,"  she  thought.  Yes,  and  if  he  knew,  how  well  he 
would  understand. 

"  My  dear,"  said  the  Judge,  leaning  towards  Marita, 
"  are  you  tired  of  Palm  Beach?  Would  you  like  to  go 
to  some  other  place?  " 

Marita's  heart  leaped.  Oh,  how  she  longed  to  go 
away!  For  a  moment  her  plate  received  close  at- 
tention; then  she  straightened  up  a  little,  replying: 

"  No,  father,  I  think — it  is  best  to  remain  here." 

"  You  know  that  whenever  you  want  a  change,  you 
have  only  to  say  the  word." 

"  I  know  that  you  are  the  most  indulgent  of  fathers," 
Marita  replied,  smiling  into  the  Judge's  anxious  eyes. 

While  she  was  still  at  the  breakfast-table  the  Doc- 
tor came  to  ask  when  she'd  be  ready  to  go  on  the 
lake. 

"  I'm  ready  now,"  she  said,  rising  and  going  with 
him. 

It  was  a  perfect  morning.      The  rain  had  swept 


2OO  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

away  every  cloud,  and  the  water  was  so  still  that  the 
lake  seemed  like  a  great  mirror. 

"  I  wish  there  were  a  few  light  clouds  to  be  seen," 
said  Marita.  "  Such  a  clear  sky  is  almost  painful  to 
the  eye." 

"  There  is  an  intensity,  though,  in  that  unclouded 
blue  such  as  you  never  have  when  it's  flecked  with 
white." 

Mr.  Channing  looked  straight  into  Marita's  eyes 
as  he  spoke,  and  she  knew  that  the  battle  had  com- 
menced. 

"  I  prefer  it  with  the  clouds,"  answered  Marita. 
"  It  is  so  easy  to  imagine  that  they  are  visible  spirits. 
Their  fleecy  forms  are  suggestive  of  fine  souls  as  their 
dark  masses  are  of  strong  ones." 

"  I  venture  to  say  that  you  like  the  dark  masses 
best,"  Mr.  Channing  remarked. 

"Not  unless  they  are  touched  with  the  whiteness 
which,  to  me,  is  typical  of  nobility." 

"  You  see,  Channing,"  said  the  Doctor,  "  Miss  Bur- 
ton is  something  of  a  poet." 

"  I  wonder  if  she  has  ever  gone  so  far  as  to  identify 
any  of  these  spirits  in  cloudland." 

"Indeed  I  have,"  replied  Marita.     "I  have  often 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  201 

seen  Napoleon's  cloud  gathering  others  about  it,  and 
then  sweeping  across  the  heavens  obscuring  every  thing 
else.  This  cloud  never  fades  away  gradually,  as  some 
of  them  do;  it  keeps  on  its  majestic  way  and  suddenly 
disappears,  leaving  only  a  gray  sky." 

"  I  don't  see  how  you  ever  think  of  such  things," 
said  Virginia,  devouring  Marita  with  wondering  eyes. 
"I  never  know  there  are  any  clouds,  except  when  I 
have  to  carry  an  umbrella  because  it  looks  like  rain." 

Mr.  Channing  pulled  his  hat  over  his  eyes,  and 
stretched  himself  out  in  the  bow  of  the  boat,  deign- 
ing no  further  remarks  on  the  subject.  Marita  was 
well  satisfied  with  the  outcome  of  this  skirmish,  and  de- 
voted herself  to  the  Doctor's  conversation  with  her 
old-time  vivacity. 

Mr.  Channing  remained  silent  until  the  Doctor 
turned  around,  calling  out: 

"Hello,  there,  Channing!     Are  you  asleep?" 

"  !No,"  he  replied,  without  lifting  his  hat  or  stirring. 
"  Only  dreaming." 

"  Day  dreams  are  seldom  realized,"  said  the  Doctor. 

"  This  one  will  be."  The  words  came  in  a  deter- 
mined voice  from  under  the  hat,  and  Marita  looked 
down  into  the  cool  depths  of  the  lake. 


2O2  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  I  think  it  must  be  near  luncheon  time,"  ventured 
Virginia.  "  Most  of  the  people  are  leaving  the 
water." 

"  Which  means  that  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior 
orders  you  to  go,  too,  I  suppose,"  replied  her  indulgent 
brother." 

"  Aren't  the  rest  of  you  hungry?  "  asked  Virginia. 

"  Oh,  yes,  indeed!  "  exclaimed  Marita,  thankful  for 
any  excuse  to  get  out  of  the  boat.  Mr.  Channing  sat 
up  and  put  on  his  hat.  He  made  no  remark,  he  didn't 
even  look  at  Marita,  yet  somehow  his  expression  made 
her  uneasy.  She  thought  again  of  the  lull  before  the 
storm,  and  wished  he  wouldn't  be  so  calm. 

All  the  way  back  to  the  hotel  and  during  luncheon 
Marita's  disquietude  increased.  She  really  had  no  rea- 
son to  be  disturbed;  the  morning  had  been  much  easier 
than  she  had  anticipated,  yet  the  air  was  electrified 
with  something  which  made  her  restless  and  suspicious 
of  the  apparent  indifference  Mr.  Channing  had  shown. 

After  luncheon  Marita  slipped  away  to  her  room, 
soon  forgetting  her  troubles  in  sleep.  When  she  awoke 
the  sun  hung  low,  a  great  ball  of  fire  lighting  the 
heavens  with  the  flaming  farewell  of  daylight.  Al- 
ready the  moon  was  climbing  up,  her  silvery  circle 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  203 

scarcely  visible  in  the  paleness  beyond  the  brilliant 
glory. 

Marita  lingered  at  the  window,  loth  to  leave  so  much 
beauty  for  the  prosaic  task  of  dressing;  but  it  was  grow- 
ing late,  and  if  she  was  to  bathe  before  dinner,  she 
must  be  stirring.  Her  long  sleep  had  greatly  refreshed 
her,  and  when  Marita's  toilet  was  completed  the  mir- 
ror reflected  a  white-robed  figure  glowing  with  anima- 
tion. The  uneasiness  of  the  morning  had  vanished, 
and  as  Marita  passed  down  the  long  corridor,  her  step 
was  buoyant  and  her  spirit  strong. 

At  the  foot  of  the  stairs  she  encountered  Mr.  Chan- 
ning,  not  yet  dressed  in  his  evening  clothes. 

"  I'm  glad  I  met  you,"  he  said,  distantly.  "  I  re- 
ceived a  telegram  calling  me  north,  and  I  leave  in 
about  an  hour." 

"Indeed!" 

Marita  tried  her  best  not  to  show  the  relief  she  felt. 

"  I'll  bid  you  good-by,"  he  said  formally,  "  it  has 
been  a  pleasure  to  meet  you." 

"  Thank  you,"  she  replied,  "  I  hope  you  will  reach 
your  destination  safely." 

"I'd  like  to  reach  it  without  taking  the  tiresome 
trip,  but  since  that's  impossible,  I  must  go  and  prepare 


204  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

for  it.  Good-by,"  Mr.  Charming  held  out  his  hand, 
clasping  the  fingers  Marita  gave  him  while  he  looked 
into  her  eyes  and  said,  in  a  husky  voice :  "  You're 
intoxicating  to-night."  The  next  instant  he  was  half- 
way up  the  stairs. 

Marita's  face  burned  all  through  the  dinner  hour, 
and  her  fingers  still  tingled  when  the  evening  train 
whistled.  Later,  she  was  very  restless  in  the  drawing- 
room,  accepting  as  a  welcome  diversion  the  Doctor's 
proposition  to  go  over  to  The  Poinciana  for  a  dance, 
though  half  inclined  to  remain  with  her  father  when 
she  found  that  he  preferred  to  stay  at  The  Breakers; 
it  required  some  urging  from  him  to  induce  her  to  go 
with  the  others. 

As  they  strolled  down  the  palmetto  path  Marita 
thought  of  that  other  night  when  she  had  passed 
through  here  with  the  Doctor,  while  within  the  ball- 
room she  was  approaching  there  stood  a  man,  like  some 
eagle,  ready  to  swoop  down  upon  her  as  his  prey.  Ma- 
rita recalled  his  ardent  gaze  following  her  as  she 
danced,  and  dwelling  upon  her  after  they  had  been  pre- 
sented. She  thought  of  his  audacious  seizure  of  her 
wrap,  and  seemed  to  hear  his  words  again,  "  We  shall 
dance  together  some  other  night."  Marita  was  more 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  205 

than  thankful  that  the  "  other  night  "  had  not  come. 
Intuition  had  told  her  that  to  dance  with  Mr.  Chan- 
ning  would  be  a  dangerous  proceeding.  To  most 
women  it  would  mean  nothing,  to  her  it  meant  close 
contact  with  a  magnetism  which  might  become  over- 
powering. Surely,  it  was  most  fortunate  that  he  had 
been  called  away.  Now  she  could  enjoy  the  evening, 
and  then,  after  a  long  sleep,  she  felt  sure  this  haunting 
nightmare  would  leave  her,  and  she  could  again  revel 
quietly  in  the  luxury  of  the  climate. 

After  dancing  with  the  Doctor,  Marita  stood  watch- 
ing him  guide  Virginia  through  the  next  waltz.  The 
music  was  of  the  kind  that  becomes  a  motive  power, 
so  completely  does  it  enter  and  animate  soul  and  body. 
Marita  could  scarcely  control  her  feet,  they  were  so 
eager  to  glide  with  those  inspiring  strains.  Suddenly 
a  hand  was  laid  on  her  arm,  and  her  blood  seemed  to 
freeze  as  she  heard  the  words: 

"  This  is  the  night  we  shall  dance  together." 
For  a  moment  Marita  couldn't  speak.  She  could 
only  gaze,  not  believing  that  she  actually  saw  Mr. 
Channing,  immaculate  in  evening  dress,  his  eyes  bril- 
liant with  their  terrifying  power.  He  smiled,  and  with 
an  effort  Marita  collected  herself  enough  to  say: 


206  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  Why,  I  thought  you  were  far  away." 

"  I  am  here,"  he  said.  His  tone  went  through  her 
like  an  electric  shock.  "  I  never  meant  to  go.  I  meant 
to  have  this  dance — and  it's  mine,  isn't  it? " 

He  bent  his  head;  his  eyes  held  hers;  his  arm 
drooped  around  her;  he  clasped  her  hand,  and  they 
glided  off,  close  to  each  other.  The  music  throbbed 
through  the  perfumed  air,  reaching  Marita  as  a  strain 
from  another  world.  Everything  seemed  far  away 
and  unreal.  Forgetting  all  that  she  should  have  re- 
membered, Marita  only  knew  that  a  potent  charm  con- 
trolled her.  She  made  no  effort  to  resist;  it  was  too 
delightful  to  yield.  As  they  swayed  to  and  fro  with 
sliding  steps,  a  strand  of  hair  brushed  his  cheek,  and 
their  lips  could  almost  have  touched,  so  near  was  his 
face  to  hers. 

Then  the  music  grew  fainter,  and  Marita  was  swept 
outside  where  she  dimly  saw  the  moonlight  shining 
through  the  palms.  Without  a  word  he  wound  his 
arms  around  her,  crushing  his  lips  down  upon  hers. 
Everything  swam;  the  soft  night  enveloped  their  pas- 
sion; he  pressed  his  kiss  closer,  bending  her  head  far- 
ther back,  until,  in  the  midst  of  this  delirium,  Marita 
raised  her  eyes  in  ecstasy,  and  saw  the  stars.  They 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  207 

shone  out  like  beacon  lights,  high  and  clear,  set  in 
majestic  vastness.  As  she  gazed  a  voice  came  to  her 
out  of  the  past,  saying,  "  Look  up."  With  a  great 
rush  came  the  thought  of  Hamilton,  of  the  night  when 
they,  too,  had  danced,  and  afterwards  plighted  their 
troth  so  sacredly.  How  different  it  had  been  from  this 
— this!  Disgust,  horror,  repulsion  swept  over  her. 
With  a  supreme  effort  Marita  wrenched  herself  free, 
trembling  in  every  limb,  yet  released  from  the  evil 
spell. 

Channing  was  so  surprised  that  he  stood  as  if  para- 
lyzed, but  Marita  turned  and  walked  rapidly  back  to 
The  Poinciana. 


CHAPTER   XXI 

"JV/TARITA  slept  like  a  child  that  night,  so  great  was 
the  peace  after  the  storm.  Serene  in  the  con- 
sciousness that  she  had  conquered  herself,  with  no 
gnawing  dread,  Marita  took  up  the  threads  of  life  in 
the  morning,  feeling  only  a  sorrowing  wonder  why 
doubt  must  shadow  Hamilton.  He  was  such  a  vital 
power  in  her  life;  why  couldn't  she  trust  where  she 
loved? 

During  the  days  that  followed  Mr.  Channing  made 
many  advances,  seeming  never  to  weary  of  trying  to 
regain  his  influence.  All  his  attempts  were  useless, 
and  at  the  end  of  a  week  he  really  departed,  saying  to 
Marita  as  he  left  her,  "  You're  a  wonderful  woman — 
wonderful!  " 

The  Doctor  thought  so  also.  It  had  long  been  his 
ambition  to  marry  Marita,  and  surmising  some  trouble 
when  Hamilton  went  abroad,  he  had  gone  South,  hop- 
ing to  win  her  there.  Being  a  wideawake  man,  the 
more  the  Doctor  saw  of  Marita,  the  better  he  realized 
that  his  asking  would  be  in  vain.  There  was  some- 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  209 

thing  about  her  beyond  his  comprehension.  He  could 
appreciate  her  mental  and  physical  development;  he 
could  give  her  all  the  love  he  was  capable  of,  yet  he 
failed  to  understand  her,  and  he  knew  that  she  would 
never  marry  a  man  whose  sympathy  was  incomplete. 
After  long  consideration  he  went  away  with  the  words 
unspoken,  much  to  Marita's  relief. 

While  she  seemed  to  be  contented,  the  Judge  knew 
she  was  possessed  by  the  spirit  of  unrest.  He  had  ob- 
served Marita's  evident  desire  to  avoid  Mr.  Channing, 
and  the  Doctor,  too,  for  that  matter,  since  she  had  no 
ambition  to  number  rejected  hearts  as  Indians  count 
scalps.  Naturally,  the  Judge  thought  this  aversion 
was  due  to  her  general  distrust  of  humanity  which  was 
plainly  evinced  in  many  ways. 

One  morning,  not  long  after  the  Doctor's  departure, 
Marita  started  out  with  her  father  for  a  long  walk. 
They  avoided  the  customary  paths  through  the  tropical 
woods,  branching  off  into  the  unbeaten  tracks,  ram- 
bling about  the  country,  until,  warm  and  thirsty,  they 
stopped  at  a  cottage  to  ask  for  water. 

A  young  girl  answered  their  knock. 

"Ma's  out  washin',"  she  stated,  "but  I'll  get  y*  a 

drink." 

14 


2io  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

She  vanished  to  interview  the  pump,  and  during  her 
absence  a  small  audience  of  inquisitive  children  gath- 
ered as  near  as  they  dared  to  the  doorstep  where  the 
Judge  and  Marita  were  sitting. 

"  How  old  are  you?  "  Marita  asked  of  an  impish  girl 
with  a  shock  of  black  hair  and  dancing  eyes. 

"  How  old  is  you?  "  she  retorted,  beaming  with  mis- 
chief. 

"  Well,"  said  Marita,  laughing,  "  I'm  old  enough  to 
have  some  sense." 

"  I's  old  enough  to  have  some  fun,"  replied  the  little 
witch. 

"  I  guess  you  know  how  to  have  it  all  right,"  said  the 
Judge,  much  amused. 

"  Do  you  live  here  ?  "  asked  Marita. 

"  Yep,  all  of  us  lives  here." 

"  Are  these  your  brothers  ?  " 

"  Reckon  they  are." 

Here  the  girl  returned  with  a  pitcher  of  water,  and 
the  Judge  and  Marita  drank  while  the  children  stood 
around,  digging  their  bare  toes  into  the  sand  in  the  con- 
fusion of  their  bashful  curiosity. 

"  Now,"  said  Marita,  turning  again  to  the  lively  girl, 
"  tell  me  what  you  like  to  do  best." 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  211 

"  Tear  things,"  was  the  prompt  reply. 

"  Why  do  you  like  to  tear  things?  " 

"  I  like  to  see  'em  go  I  " 

"  Ruth's  dreadful  naughty,"  put  in  the  older  girl. 
"  She  tears  up  lots  of  our  things." 

"  Does  she  tear  up  her  own  things,  too?  "  asked  the 
Judge,  his  eyes  twinkling. 

"  Not  unless  she  hates  'em." 

"  Ruth,"  said  Marita,  trying  to  look  sober.  "  Don't 
you  know  it's  very  wrong  to  tear  things? " 

"  Yep,  I  know  it." 

"  Then  why  do  you  do  it?  " 

"  'Cause  it's  more  fun  than  doin'  right  things." 

"  She's  terrible  bad,"  said  her  sister.  "  Ma  gets 
tired  lickin'  her." 

It  was  all  the  Judge  and  Marita  could  do  to  keep 
their  faces  straight. 

"  And  how  about  the  boys,"  Marita  inquired, 
turning  to  the  two  little  shavers  in  ragged  trou- 
sers. 

"  "We're  all  right,"  replied  the  eldest,  with  an  air  of 
importance. 

"  Masculine  superiority,"  said  Marita,  smiling  at  the 
Judge. 


212  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  They  don't  tear  things,"  Ruth  was  quick  to  say, 
"  they  only  steal  what  goodies  we  have." 

The  boys  looked  rather  shamefaced;  finally  the  little 
fellow  plucked  up  courage  to  say,  "  We  wouldn't  get 
our  share  if  we  didn't  hook  'em  when  we  got  a  chance." 
By  the  gleam  in  the  taller  boy's  eye  Marita  judged 
that  he'd  like  the  chance  to  "  hook  'em  "  oftener  than 
he  got  it. 

After  a  short  rest  the  Judge  dispensed  coins  among 
the  children  with  his  usual  generosity,  leaving  them 
overwhelmed  with  the  sense  of  riches  possessed. 

"  I  wonder,"  said  Marita  to  her  father  as  they  wended 
their  way  back  to  The  Breakers,  "  what  kind  of  men 
and  women  those  children  will  make  when  they  grow 
up." 

"Probably  as  good  as  the  average,"  replied  the 
Judge. 

"  Which  is  decidedly  low." 

"  Oh,  no.  The  average  human  being  is  a  fairly  good 
sort  of  a  creature." 

"  Do  you  really  think  so,  father?  " 

"  Of  course  I  do.  Why,  my  dear  girl,  what  do  you 
think  of  those  poor  women  whose  husbands  are  lodged 
in  jail,  who  take  up  the  burden  of  supporting  a  family, 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  213 

who  love  and  encourage  and  help  their  prisoners  so 
much  that  they  sometimes  redeem  them? " 

"  I  think  the  goodness  of  those  women  offsets  the 
badness  of  those  men,  and  still  leaves  your  average 
low." 

"  Marita,"  said  the  Judge,  gently  yet  firmly,  "  I 
don't  like  your  point  of  view.  It  is  a  new  one  for  you, 
and  it  grieves  me  to  see  it  growing  upon  you." 

"  I  don't  like  it  any  better  than  you  do,  father,  but 
I  can't  seem  to  see  things  as  I  used  to.  My  faith  in 
humanity  has  been  shaken  to  the  roots,  and  it's  very 
hard  to  trust  again.  A  man  like  Grant  Hamilton  can 
mean  so  much  to  a  girl.  He  represents  all  that  is  best 
in  life,  and  when  the  representation  is  so  disappoint- 
ing, it's  quite  natural  to  doubt  that  which  is  repre- 
sented." 

"  True,  my  dear,"  said  the  Judge  sadly.  Then,  with 
an  appeal  in  his  voice,  he  continued:  "  And  yet,  I've 
been  hoping  all  along  that  my  girl  would  soon  right 
herself  with  the  world." 

"  Your  girl  has  tried,  but  she's  a  very  human  girl, 
and  she  hasn't  been  able  to  right  herself  yet." 

"  Well,  honey,  keep  on  trying,  and  bank  on  your  old 
father  when  you  need  help." 


214  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  I  don't  know  what  I'd  do  if  it  wasn't  for  you," 
returned  Marita,  her  great  love  for  her  father  shining 
out  of  the  eyes  aching  with  unshed  tears. 

The  Judge  wondered  if  he  could  ever  disclose  that 
which  might  cause  those  eyes  to  turn  from  him  rather 
than  to  him.  He  despised  himself  for  not  clearing 
Hamilton,  yet  the  thought  of  doing  so  at  the  risk  of 
losing  Marita's  respect  was  the  cause  of  many  a  sleep- 
less hour.  If  the  knowledge  of  her  irregular  birth 
would  in  any  way  promote  Marita's  happiness,  the 
Judge  would  have  gladly  sacrificed  his  personal  feel- 
ing; thinking  that  such  knowledge  would  only  increase 
her  burden,  and  not  being  sure  of  the  wisest  course 
to  follow,  he  remained  silent,  continuing  to  wonder 
and  question.  Truly,  Marita  was  not  the  only  one 
battling  with  self  through  the  long,  sunny  days  in  the 
south. 


CHAPTER   XXII 

f  l^HE  trees  at  Lindenhurst  had  burst  out  into  their 
spring  freshness,  and  lived  through  their  sum- 
mer glory;  they  were  glowing  with  autumn  tints  when 
gentle  Mrs.  Burton  passed  into  the  great  unknown. 
As  she  had  lived,  so  she  died,  quietly,  peacefully,  leav- 
ing her  dear  ones  a  beautiful  memory  unmarred  by  any 
struggle. 

Marita  feared  that  this  loss  would  affect  her  father's 
health,  which  had  been  unusually  good  since  their  re- 
turn from  the  South.  As  time  passed,  however,  she  saw 
that  his  grief  was  not  a  destroying  anguish;  it  was  an 
abiding  sorrow,  purifying  rather  than  blighting.  Per- 
haps this  influence  had  something  to  do  with  the  feel- 
ing which  was  growing  upon  the  Judge — the  feeling 
that  something  must  be  done  to  clear  Marita's  horizon 
of  the  clouds  of  doubt  which  did  not  disperse  as  he 
had  hoped.  All  his  efforts  to  reestablish  her  faith  in 
mankind  were  unavailing;  she  believed  in  nothing  and 
no  one. 

One  evening  they  were  sitting  in  the  library  watch- 


216  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

ing  the  big  logs  give  their  woodland  life  to  the 
flames. 

"  Marita,  dear,  you  forgot  to  draw  the  shades,"  said 
the  Judge,  who  never  liked  to  think  that  outsiders 
could  look  in  upon  the  privacy  of  his  hearth. 

Rising  at  once,  Marita  went  to  the  nearest  window; 
instead  of  drawing  the  shade,  she  stood  a  moment, 
gazing  wistfully  out  into  the  frosty  October  night. 
The  wind  that  rattled  the  wistaria  branches  against 
the  glass  had  swept  every  cloud  from  the  sky,  leaving 
undimmed  the  autumn  brilliancy  of  myriad  stars.  Ma- 
rita looked  up,  wondering  where  Hamilton  was  to- 
night, and  if  he  was  thinking  of  her.  Why  did  he 
stay  over  there  so  long — or  perhaps  he  was  home,  she 
didn't  know.  Would  she  ever  know,  would  she  ever 
hear  from  him,  ever  see  him  again? 

The  Judge  heard  her  sigh  as  she  pulled  down  the 
shade;  guessing  that  her  thoughts  were  with  Hamilton, 
his  heart  ached  as  it  never  had  when  death  entered  his 
home. 

"  My  God,"  he  thought,  bowing  his  head,  "  if  men 
only  knew  what  the  harvest  is  when  the  wild  oats  are 
ripe!" 

"  I'm  going  to  pile  up  these  cushions  and  sit  at 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  217 

your  feet,"  said  Marita,  suiting  the  action  to  the 
word. 

"  Dear  child,"  the  Judge's  voice  trembled  as  he 
rested  his  hand  on  her  head,  "  are  you  lonely  to- 
night? " 

"  I  am  never  lonely  when  I  have  you,  father;  yet 
there  must  always  be  a  void — for  both  of  us,  now." 

"  The  void  in  my  life  is  not  like  yours.  My  wife 
seems  only  to  have  gone  into  the  next  room  and  closed 
the  door;  when  the  door  is  opened  to  me,  I  shall  find 
her  there." 

"  I'm  glad  you  feel  that  way,  father;  it  is  so  beauti- 
ful." 

"  Don't  you  feel  the  same  way,  dear?  " 

"  !No,"  Marita  answered,  regretfully,  "  I  don't.  If 
life  can  be  such  a  shallow  thing  here,  why  should  it 
be  continued  hereafter? " 

"  Marita,"  said  the  Judge,  suddenly  bending  for- 
ward and  looking  straight  into  her  eyes,  "  what  if  you 
knew  that  Hamilton  was  blameless?  " 

"  What  if  I  knew  he  was  blameless?  "  She  caught 
her  breath.  "  Oh,  father,  if  I  could  know  that,  all 
this  dreadful  weight  would  roll  away." 

The  Judge  shut  his  teeth  hard. 


218  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  Hamilton  is  blameless." 

Marita's  whole  frame  stiffened,  every  fibre  strained 
with  intensity. 

"Do  you  mean  that?" 

The  Judge  scarce  heard  her  words;  he  only  heard 
the  unnatural  tone  of  her  voice.  It  pierced  his  heart 
like  a  knife;  his  lifeblood  seemed  to  ooze  through  the 
wound. 

"  Do  you  mean  it?  "  she  repeated  vehemently. 

"  I  do,  Marita;  I  mean  it." 

The  Judge's  lips  grew  whiter  with  every  word. 

Marita  sprang  to  her  feet 

"  You  mean  it !  You  mean  that  Hamilton  is  blame- 
less; and  you  have  let  me  go  on  thinking  him  un- 
worthy. You  have  seen  my  life  poisoned  by  doubt, 
and  have  never  spoken.  Father,  why  have  you  done 
this  thing?  Why  didn't  you  speak  long  ago?  " 

The  Judge  rose  and  stood  before  Marita  with  folded 
arms.  Her  torrent  of  reproach  was  checked  by  his 
sorrowful  dignity. 

"  Before  you  censure  me  for  my  silence,  think  what 
it  has  been  for  your  father  to  watch  the  venom  corrod- 
ing your  life.  Do  you  think  it  has  been  easy  to  see 
you  lose  all  your  ideals,  all  your  hopes,  all  your  faith? 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  219 

Hasn't  some  powerful  reason  restrained  me  from  speak- 
ing, when  I  saw  the  ruin  being  wrought?  God  is  my 
witness  that  I've  remained  silent  for  your  own  good. 
I  did  not  speak  because  I  thought  it  better  for  you  to 
doubt  Hamilton  than  to  know  what  you  must  know — 
now."  His  voice  sank  to  a  whisper,  then  rose  again 
clear  and  firm.  "  I  thought  you  would  outgrow  the 
bitterness,  but  you  did  not ;  I  thought  your  faith  would 
be  restored,  and  it  was  not.  I  have  seen  the  cloud 
spread  until  your  horizon  is  completely  darkened;  I 
can  bear  it  no  longer.  You  must  know  that  the  man 
you  love  is  above  reproach.  Why,  child,  his  refusal 
to  explain  the  words  of  my  delirium  was  one  of  the 
noblest  things  a  man  ever  did." 

"  Yes,  yes,"  cried  Marita,  her  eyes  glittering  with 
excitement.  "Go  on;  tell  me  more!" 

"  By  his  silence  he  shielded  you  at  the  cost  of  con- 
demning himself." 

"Shielded  me?" 

"  Yes,  from  the  truth  that  lay  at  the  root  of  the 
delirious  words  I  spoke ;  from  the  truth  that  has  cursed 
my  life  for  years;  from  the  truth  that  will  curse  your 
life  from  this  hour — the  truth  that  your  only  name  is 
Marita." 


22O  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

An  occasional  snap  of  the  fire  was  all  that  broke  the 
stillness.  The  Judge  waited,  his  heart  leaping  with 
suffocating  bounds,  great  beads  of  perspiration  break- 
ing out  on  his  forehead  as  he  watched  the  girl  who 
seemed  turned  to  stone.  Marita  looked  straight  ahead 
with  eyes  that  saw  nothing.  Her  arms  hung  nerve- 
lessly, her  hands  were  stiff  with  cold.  No  word  came, 
no  cry;  there  was  just  that  white,  mute  anguish,  tell- 
ing better  than  words  how  well  she  understood.  She 
was  only  Marita;  she  had  no  other  name.  So  many 
things  she  didn't  understand,  but  that  was  plain.  No 
name,  no  place  in  the  world;  everybody  would  shun 
her  if  they  knew.  Yet  Hamilton  knew,  and  he  had 
not  shunned  her.  How  was  it?  How  did  he  know? 
Her  father  must  have  told  him — her  father!  He  was 
the  author  of  it  all;  he  had  ruined  her  life;  placed  love 
beyond  her  reach;  shut  the  doors  of  happiness  in  her 
face;  closed  every  path  that  a  woman  longs  to  tread. 
A  wave  of  bitterness  swept  over  the  girl,  and  then 
through  the  gall  she  saw  the  drawn  features  before 
her.  As  if  a  great  light  had  been  flashed  upon  them, 
the  suffering  of  a  lifetime  was  revealed.  Something 
keen  broke  her  icy  bonds;  with  a  quick  step  she  threw 
her  arms  around  her  father's  neck,  sobbing  out: 


Oh,  father — my  father." 

—Page  Z2i. 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  221 

"  Oh,  father— my  father!  " 

That  yearning  cry  was  the  sweetest  sound  the  Judge 
had  ever  heard.  Fraught  with  unswerving  love,  it 
Lanished  his  fear  of  estrangement,  and  though  it  wrung 
the  tears  from  his  aching  eyes,  yet  even  as  they  fell  a 
great  peace  stole  into  his  heart. 


CHAPTER   XXIII 

T?AR  into  the  night  their  voices  rose  and  fell.  The 
Judge  was  determined  that  nothing  should  be 
unknown  to  Marita  now.  He  went  back  to  the  time 
of  his  youthful  folly,  telling  her  of  Anita  Mondello 
and  the  burning  days  in  Rome.  When  he  told  of  how 
he  returned  there  after  his  marriage  and  found  his 
nameless  baby  girl  lying  in  the  sunlight,  then  Marita 
stopped  his  words  with  a  kiss,  and  the  Judge  thanked 
God  he  had  found  her. 

He  spoke  humbly  of  his  sin  and  reverently  of  his 
wife's  pardon.  There  was  no  need  of  explaining  how 
remorse  had  shadowed  the  joy  of  watching  his  daughter 
grow  from  childhood  to  girlhood,  from  girlhood  to 
womanhood;  she  knew  that  by  the  God-given  power 
men  call  intuition.  Yet  he  told  it  all,  and  she  listened, 
nestling  beside  him  in  the  big  armchair,  growing  rest- 
less only  when  the  Judge  spoke  of  his  interview  with 
Hamilton.  Then  the  color  stole  back  to  her  lips,  her 
eyes  shone,  and  the  strained  tone  of  agitation  sounded 
in  her  voice  as  she  said: 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  223 

"  Now,  father,  tell  me  all  that  passed  between 
you." 

"You  shall  know  everything,  dear;  there  must  be 
no  more  concealments.  Hamilton  asked  for  my 
daughter,  and  I  told  him  why  I  couldn't  consent  to  the 
marriage."  Marita  shivered  a  little,  and  the  Judge's 
hand  tightened  over  hers.  "  At  first  he  was  stunned, 
as  you  were;  after  a  little  he  regained  his  poise  and 
spoke  as  few  men  would  speak.  He  said  that  charac- 
ter was  more  to  him  than  birth;  that  he  believed  in  you, 
and  wanted  to  marry  you  just  the  same."  Marita 
closed  her  eyes.  She  could  not  bear  to  have  even  her 
father  see  all  that  might  be  shining  there.  "  He 
plead  so  well  that  I  finally  yielded,  with  the  under- 
standing that  he  was  never  to  tell  you  the  secret  of 
your  birth." 

"  Then  he  was  bound  by  his  word  to  you  not  to 
speak? " 

"  Yes,  but  few  men  would  have  kept  their  word,  as 
he  did,  under  such  circumstances." 

Marita's  mind  ached  with  the  pain  of  her  thoughts. 
"How  my  unjust  reproaches  must  have  hurt!  How 
my  words  must  have  tortured  him!  I  was  so  cruel, 
and  he  sacrificed  himself  for  me." 


224  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  Comfort  yourself  by  thinking  that  your  firmness 
under  existing  conditions  must  have  strengthened  his 
belief  in  you." 

"  Oh,  I  hope  it  did— I  hope  so!  " 

"  Marita,"  said  the  Judge,  studying  her  closely  from 
under  his  shaggy  eyebrows,  "  could  anything  induce 
you  to  marry  Hamilton  now?  " 

Marita  shook  her  head  slowly,  a  shadowy  smile  sad- 
dening her  lips  as  she  said: 

"  Marriage  is  not  for  me." 

"  I  thought  you  would  feel  that  way,  and  being  sure 
that  my  revelation  would  not  promote  your  happiness, 
I  decided  to  let  you  think  Hamilton  unworthy.  It  was 
a  cowardly  decision,  I  know,  but  I  thought  it  would  be 
easier  for  you,  and  I  fear  I  would  do  more  than  sacri- 
fice honor  to  win  peace  for  my  child." 

Marita  pressed  her  face  close  to  her  father's,  and 
held  it  there  in  silence.  After  a  pause  she  asked: 
"  "Was  it  my  horrid  pessimism  that  finally  led  you  to 
speak? " 

"Yes,  dear;  I  could  not  bear  to  see  you  slip  any 
further  into  the  mire  of  unbelief." 

"Father,  I  never  can  tell  you  how  thankful  I  am 
that  you  told  me!  " 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  225 

"  Are  you  really?  " 

"  Oh,  yes !  It  was  so  dreadful  to  think  of  Grant  as 
a  fallen  idol." 

"  I  know,  I  know;  but  I  fear  you  don't  realize  the 
weight  of  this  new  burden." 

"I  think  I  do,"  she  said  thoughtfully.  "It  is  a 
burden  crushing  love  and  marriage  and  much  that  is 
beautiful  out  of  my  life.  Yet  it  is  easier  to  lose  them 
for  my  unworthiness  than  for  his." 

"  There's  the  wrench  of  the  pang — you  are  not  un- 
worthy." 

"  Perhaps  not  unworthy,  rather  unfit.  However 
that  may  be,  I'm  on  my  feet  again.  I  know  that 
Grant  is  what  I  thought  him,  and  that  knowledge  has 
taken  all  the  sting  out  of  this  other  trial.  I  don't  be- 
lieve you  men  understand  what  it  means  to  a  woman 
to  lose  faith  in  a  man  she  loves.  You  see,  he  personi- 
fies nobility,  and  when  he  seems  false,  then  nothing 
seems  true." 

"  You  say  you're  on  your  feet  again,  and  God  only 
knows  how  glad  I  am  to  hear  you  say  so.  There  have 
been  many  fears  haunting  me,  but  none  more  dread- 
ful than  the  fear  that  the  knowledge  of  your  father's 
sin  would  be  as  great  a  cloud  as  the  thought  of  Hamil- 


226  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

ton's  failing,  and  you  would  also  have  this  wretched 
secret  to  bear." 

"  Just  let  that  fear  go  forever." 

"  Tell  me  how  you  feel  about  it." 

"  Why,  father,  your  sin  was  so  human.  I  can  under- 
stand it " — as  Marita  looked  into  the  fire  the  logs 
seemed  to  rise  out  of  the  embers,  and  the  burnt  ends 
became  widespread  palms  bathed  in  moonlight — "  and 
I  can  pardon  it.  I  would  have  forgiven  Grant  such 
a  sin  as  that;  indeed,  I  would  have  forgiven  him  almost 
any  sin.  The  thing  I  could  not  forgive  was  his  refusal 
to  confide  to  me  anything  so  important  that  you 
thought  I  wouldn't  marry  him  if  I  knew." 

"  Oh,"  sighed  the  Judge,  wearily  leaning  back  "  it 
was  all  such  a  miserable  mistake.  (  Visiting  the  iniq- 
uity of  the  fathers  upon  the  children,'  that,  dear,  is 
the  thing  that  wrings  my  heart.  The  acme  of  pen- 
ance is  reached  when  you  must  see  a  loved  one  suffer 
for  your  own  sin." 

"  I'm  not  going  to  suffer,"  said  Marita  bravely, 
though  her  lip  quivered.  "  It  has  all  been  told  and 
forgiven  and  everything  straightened  out.  We  have 
each  other — and  work." 

"  What  work? " 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  227 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know;  I  haven't  thought  as  far  as 
that;  only,  somehow,  it  seems  as  if  work  would  be  such 
a  help." 

"  Don't  think  about  anything  now,  you're  worn  out; 
you  must  rest,  dear  child."  The  Judge  folded  her 
close  in  his  arms,  feeling  that  the  new  bond  had  united 
their  hearts  in  a  very  precious  way. 

Slowly  they  mounted  the  stairs,  side  by  side.  "When 
they  stopped  at  Marita's  door  the  Judge  took  her  face 
between  his  hands,  searching  the  deep  brown  eyes,  and 
saying  hungrily: 

"  So  you  really  can  forgive  me." 

"  Yes,  father." 

"  And  you  love  me,  dear?  " 

"Oh,  so  much!" 

He  touched  his  lips  to  her  forehead,  and  then  spoke 
hesitatingly: 

"  Marita,  shall  you — let  Hamilton  know — that  you 
know? " 

A  distressed  look  shaded  her  face. 

"  Let's  not  talk  about  that  to-night,"  she  said  wearily. 
"  There  are  so  many  things  to  think  of." 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

is  harder  than  the  adjustment  of  life 
after  one  has  received  a  vital  blow.  Strength 
comes  with  the  hour  of  trial,  the  days  and  weeks  that 
follow  are  the  true  test  of  courage.  When  a  soul  is 
tried  as  Marita's  was,  there  are  times  when  the  spirit 
rebels,  growing  desperate  under  its  weight.  Again, 
it  becomes  overwhelmed  with  sadness,  paralyzed  by  the 
apparent  uselessness  of  the  struggle.  After  it  has 
passed  through  the  gorge  of  despair — after  it  has  risen 
above  the  vale  of  despondency — after  it  has  reached  the 
heights  of  serenity — then  it  has  gathered  unto  itself 
the  hope  that  is  born  of  conquering  self. 

At  first  it  seemed  to  Marita  that  life  was  a  desert, 
her  father's  love  the  only  oasis  in  all  its  dreariness; 
as  the  days  crept  along  she  began  to  see  beauty  in  the 
stretch  of  sand,  and  at  last  a  definite  form  arose  in  the 
lightening  horizon. 

"With  this  definite  form  in  full  view,  Marita  ap- 
proached the  Judge  in  the  library  on  a  sunny  morning 
early  in  November. 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  229 

"  Father,  dear,  I  want  your  close  attention." 

"  You  always  have  that,"  he  said,  smiling  fondly  at 
the  girl  whose  bravery  was  to  him  a  never-ending 
source  of  wonder. 

"  I  have  been  thinking  about  the  future,  and  I  know 
what  I  want  to  do." 

"  Tell  me  about  it,"  he  said,  his  lively  interest  a 
little  tinged  with  anxiety. 

"  You  see,  father,  under  the  circumstances  I  cannot 
live  on  like  this.  The  things  that  fill  the  lives  of  other 
women  are  not  for  me,  yet  I  must  have  something. 
I  have  thought  and  thought  until  I  am  dizzy  with  think- 
ing, and  it  seems  to  me  there  is  only  one  thing  to  do, 
and  that  is  to  work.  I  need  work  more  than  the  woman 
who  must  earn  her  bread.  It  means  nothing  less  than 
salvation  to  me.  Don't  you  understand?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Judge  slowly,  "  I  understand;  but, 
my  dear,  what  work  can  you  do  ?  " 

"  Can't  you  guess? "  cried  Marita,  and  taking  a  step 
towards  the  piano,  she  held  up  her  violin. 

"What,  music?" 

"Yes,  music;  teaching  and  playing." 

"  Playing  where?  "     The  Judge  looked  sober. 

"  Oh,    in   churches,    at   concerts,    receptions — any- 


230  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

where.  Now  take  that  worried  pucker  right  out  of 
your  forehead,  because  I've  thought  it  all  out  very 
carefully,  and  I'm  sure  it's  the  best  thing  to  do.  We'll 
close  Lindenhurst  for  the  winter  and  go  to  New  York, 
where  we'll  have  a  cosy  apartment  together.  You're 
ready  to  retire  from  active  work  anyway,  and  you'll 
revel  in  books  while  I'm  growing  famous." 

"My  dear  child,  I  don't  mind  going  to  New  York 
for  the  winter,  or  any  other  place  you  may  choose; 
the  only  thing  I  object  to  is  your  becoming  a  public 
artist.  It's  a  slave's  life,  and  you'd  be  subjected  to 
all  kinds  of  unpleasantness." 

"  Why  don't  you  say  temptations?  You  know  that's 
what  you  mean.  Between  us,  father,  there's  no  use 
in  calling  a  spade  an  agricultural  implement.  I  know 
how  you  feel  about  such  a  career,  yet  it's  the  only 
thing  that  would  fill  my  life  as  it  must  be  filled.  The 
path  is  hard,  that  is  why  I  long  to  follow  it;  there  are 
many  temptations  by  the  way,  but  I'm  not  afraid  to  face 
them.  Can't  you  trust  me,  father,  to  overcome  such 
things? " 

"  You  don't  know  what  temptation  is,  Marita." 

She  smiled  as  she  said:  "I  don't  know  what  temp- 
tation is?  Listen,  father.  Do  you  remember  Mr. 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  231 

Channing — at  Palm  Beach?  Well,  that  man  stirred 
every  drop  of  Italian  blood  in  my  veins.  I  despised 
him;  yet  he  fascinated  me,  attracted  me  irresistibly. 
I  was  like  a  boat  swept  along  by  the  tide,  until  the 
mad  course  was  stopped  by  a  rock  against  which  the 
current  dashed  in  vain.  Do  you  know  what  the  rock 
was?  It  was  the  thought  of  Grant  Hamilton — the 
realization  of  the  difference  between  his  love  and  the 
other  man's  passion.  That  was  when  I  thought  him 
lacking,  too.  !Now  that  I  know  of  his  self -suppression, 
of  his  belief  in  me  and  his  willingness  to  marry  me, 
do  you  think  any  power  on  earth  could  lead  me  astray? 
Why,  father,  I'm  hedged  in,  protected,  guarded  by  the 
great,  true  love  of  that  man.  Whatever  my  nature 
may  be,  Grant  knew  it,  and  he  trusted  me  entirely. 
Can't  you  do  as  much?  " 

The  Judge  looked  at  Marita  with  an  expression 
such  as  illumines  the  face  of  a  devout  Catholic  kneel- 
ing before  the  Virgin. 

"  God  knows  I  don't  deserve  such  a  daughter.  Fol- 
low any  course  you  choose;  I'll  stand  by  my  girl  in 
everything  she  undertakes." 

"  I  was  sure  you  would,"  said  Marita  delightedly, 
"  and  you  can't  think  how  much  an  active  life  will 


232  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

mean  to  me.  I  can  scarcely  wait  for  the  time  to  come, 
and,  of  course,  the  sooner  we  go  the  better — profes- 
sionally, I  mean." 

It  was  a  long  time  since  the  Judge  had  seen  Marita's 
eyes  twinkle  like  that. 

"  Yes,  dear,"  he  answered,  "  the  sooner  we  go  the 
better." 

"  I'm  so  glad  you  think  as  I  do,"  she  replied,  play- 
fully; her  face  sobered,  however,  as  she  continued: 
"  I  wonder  if  you'll  agree  with  me  about  another  mat- 
ter. You  asked  me  once  if  I  should  let  Grant  know 
that  I  knew.  I've  thought  it  all  over,  and  have  finally 
concluded  to  let  matters  rest  as  they  are.  Perhaps 
time  has  healed  his  wound,  and  it  would  only  be  a  use- 
less tearing  open.  Through  a  sense  of  obligation  or 
through  his  own  desire,  he  would  probably  urge  mar- 
riage, which  is  utterly  impossible.  It  would  be  a 
struggle  for  both  of  us,  painful  and  unavailing.  Don't 
you  think  it  is  best  to  say  nothing?  " 

"Possibly,  I  don't  know.  That  is  something  you 
must  decide  for  yourself." 

"  Then  I  shall  not  tell  him,"  said  Marita  promptly. 
"  I  shall  only  think  of  him  as  a  strong,  helpful  force 
in  my  life.  His  memory  will  not  be  a  troublous 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  233 

shadow;  it  shall  be  a  beautiful  light  softening  the  barre 
sinister  on  my  shield." 

"  What  do  you  know  of  the  barre  sinister? "  asked 
the  Judge,  regarding  her  with  surprise. 

"  I  know  it  is  the  barre  which  heraldry  gives  to  such 
as  I  am.  I  adopt  it  without  shame,  accepting  it  as  a 
constant  reminder  that  I  am  pitted  against  the  world, 
and  can  only  conquer  by  exerting  every  power  I  have." 

"  Come  here,"  said  the  Judge,  his  eyes  beaming  with 
pride,  "  I  want  to  shake  hands  with  you." 


CHAPTER   XXV 

-  TRUMAN  is  busy  this  afternoon,  and  begs 
to  be  excused." 

If  Marita  had  any  heart  at  all,  it  was  way  down  in 
the  box  toes  of  her  walking  boots.  This  was  the  third 
time  she  had  been  politely  turned  out  of  the  manager's 
office,  and  so  much  depended  upon  an  interview  with 
Mr.  Truman  that  these  repeated  disappointments 
severely  tried  her  courage.  She  felt  like  going  home 
to  indulge  in  a  good  hard  cry,  but  instead  of  doing  so, 
when  she  reached  the  elevator,  Marita  turned  and  went 
back  to  the  office.  Taking  out  one  of  her  cards,  she 
wrote  upon  it,  "  Will  Mr.  Truman  kindly  appoint  a 
time  when  Miss  Burton  may  talk  business  with  him?  " 
The  liveried  office  boy  took  the  card  with  the  superior 
air  which  the  servants  of  those  in  power  often  assume 
towards  applicants.  Slight  as  it  was,  the  circumstance 
nettled  Marita,  making  her  all  the  more  determined  to 
secure  an  audience  with  that  manager. 

The  boy  soon  returned,  saying  in  a  condescending 
tone: 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  235 

"  Mr.  Truman  may  have  time  to  see  you  to-morrow 
morning;  he  couldn't  appoint  any  hour." 

"  Very  well,"  said  Marita,  leaving  the  room  with  a 
vague  impression  that  gilt-buttoned  youths  are  masters 
of  fate. 

Marita  walked  rapidly  down  Broadway,  her  nostrils 
dilating  like  those  of  a  thoroughbred  scenting  powder. 
"  Evidently  Mr.  Truman  is  a  man  with  whom  you  must 
use  strong  measures,"  she  thought,  "  and  since  he  is  the 
only  manager  who  can  give  me  just  the  engagements 
I  want,  I  propose  to  use  them." 

Everything  seemed  to  be  against  Marita  the  next 
morning.  The  rain  poured  down  as  if  the  sluices  of 
heaven  were  opened  for  the  occasion.  This  was  par- 
ticularly annoying,  since  it  necessitated  the  wearing  of 
a  rainy-day  suit  in  place  of  an  extremely  becoming 
tailor  gown.  Marita  knew  that  personal  appearance 
goes  a  long  way  with  managers,  and  naturally  wished 
to  look  her  very  best. 

"  Who  says  that  circumstance  doesn't  rule  for- 
tune! "  she  exclaimed,  impatiently  snapping  the  fasten- 
ings on  her  short  skirt.  "  I  say  it  does!  Look  at  me, 
obliged  to  tramp  into  Truman's  august  presence  in 
this  abbreviated  costume,  when  I  might  sweep  in  ma- 


236  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

jestically  with  that  lovely  castor  gown,  all  because  of 
the  weather — nothing  but  circumstance!  Why,  that 
other  suit  might  just  tip  the  scale  the  right  way,"  and 
Marita  pulled  on  her  eton  jacket,  trying  to  console 
herself  with  the  thought  that  at  least  it  was  very  well 
cut. 

Armed  with  umbrella  and  violin,  she  set  out  on  her 
watery  way,  reaching  the  manager's  office  in  no  amiable 
frame  of  mind.  Her  reception  did  not  tend  to  raise 
her  spirits,  the  gilt-buttoned  arbiter  of  fate  informing 
her  that  Mr.  Truman  was  too  busy  to  see  her  then; 
she  could  wait  if  she  chose.  She  did  choose,  settling 
herself  in  a  chair  by  the  window,  determined  to  wait 
all  day  if  necessary.  It  was  a  dreary  outlook;  even 
the  entertainment  of  watching  the  people  pass  was 
denied  to  Marita,  since  from  the  third  story  window 
she  could  see  only  dripping  umbrellas  in  the  street  be- 
low. 

Slowly  the  hours  passed.  A  few  men  and  two  mes- 
senger boys  came  into  the  office,  executed  their  er- 
rands, and  hurried  out.  They  all  stared  at  Marita; 
even  the  lordly  office  boy  began  to  regard  her  as  a 
curiosity  worthy  of  an  occasional  sidelong  glance. 

Suddenly  the  door  marked  "  Private  "  flew  open, 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  237 

and  a  big,  heavy-mustached  man  appeared  with  his 
storm  coat  buttoned  and  hat  in  hand.  He  laid  a  roll 
of  papers  on  the  boy's  desk,  casting  an  inquiring  glance 
in  Marita's  direction. 

"  Now's  the  time  to  strike,"  she  thought,  and  with 
shaking  knees  she  arose.  "  I  beg  your  pardon,  is  this 
Mr.  Truman?" 

"  Yes."  His  keen  eye  scanned  her  from  hat  to  boot, 
and  oh,  how  she  longed  for  the  castor  gown! 

"  I  am  Miss  Burton,"  she  continued.  "  I've  been 
waiting  a  long  time  to  see  you." 

"  I  should  think  so,"  he  replied,  the  suspicion  of  a 
smile  lurking  in  the  corners  of  his  mouth.  "  I  had  no 
idea  you  would  wait  like  this.  Just  step  inside,  and 
I'll  see  you  before  I  go  out." 

Ushering  Marita  into  his  room,  Mr  Truman  laid 
down  his  hat  and  seated  himself,  without  removing  his 
storm  coat,  however. 

"  I'm  sorry  to  detain  you,"  said  Marita,  feeling  that 
the  situation  was  most  inauspicious. 

"  What  did  you  want  to  see  me  about? "  asked  Mr. 
Truman,  in  a  tone  which  plainly  told  how  bored  he  was. 

"  About  making  engagements  for  me  to  play  at  con- 
certs and  social  affairs." 


238  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  My  dear  young  lady,  don't  you  know  that  I  only 
book  stars? " 

"  That's  the  reason  I  came  to  you." 

"  Pardon  me,"  said  Mr.  Truman  with  an  aggravat- 
ing smile,  "  I  don't  recall  any  of  your  triumphs." 

"  Because  I  never  had  any.  I  mean  to  begin  with 
one,  and  I  want  you  to  help  me.  I  only  ask  one  thing, 
let  me  play  for  you." 

"  You  can't  play  here  there's  no  piano." 

"  I  can  play  here,  my  violin  is  in  the  outer  office." 

Before  he  could  remonstrate  Marita  was  into  the 
other  room  and  back  again  with  her  violin. 

"  Well,  you  came  prepared,"  he  said,  rather  amused 
at  the  way  she  proceeded. 

"  It  was  all  I  could  do,  since  I  had  no  triumphs  for 
you  to  recall,"  and  taking  up  her  violin,  Marita  drew 
forth  the  first  notes  of  the  music  which  would  make 
or  mar  her  future.  Never  in  her  life  had  she  felt 
less  sure  of  herself;  she  was  disheartened,  her  courage 
was  nearly  exhausted,  and  she  knew  that  her  audience 
was  not  only  critical,  but  predisposed  against  her. 
Summoning  all  the  strength  she  had  left,  Marita  swept 
at  once  into  a  brilliant  movement.  She  need  not  have 
feared  for  herself;  as  usual,  music  broke  the  shackles 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  239 

and  set  her  free.  It  was  as  if  her  spirit  defied  fate 
and  rose  victorious  by  the  might  of  its  own  power.  If 
ever  genius  spoke  from  a  soul  through  an  instrument, 
it  did  when  Marita  filled  that  dingy  office  with  music 
such  as  Truman,  with  all  his  experience,  had  seldom 
heard.  He  could  scarcely  wait  for  her  to  stop  play- 
ing, and  the  last  note  had  barely  left  the  strings  when 
he  sprang  up  and  held  out  his  hand,  crying: 

"  By  Jove,  I'm  glad  you  came  to  me !  " 

Marita  dropped  into  the  nearest  chair,  unable  to 
stand.  Mr.  Truman  threw  aside  his  storm  coat,  and 
began  talking  business  at  once.  Somewhat  later,  when 
she  rose  to  go,  arrangements  had  been  made  for  Ma- 
rita to  play  at  a  Sunday  night  concert  in  the  Metropoli- 
tan Opera  House. 

"  I  think  that  will  give  you  an  opportunity  to  begin 
with  a  triumph,"  said  Truman,  smiling  kindly. 

"  I  hope  so,"  replied  Marita,  bidding  him  good-by, 
and  starting  off  with  a  longing  to  skip  instead  of  walk. 

As  she  opened  her  umbrella  and  stepped  out  into  the 
rain,  Marita  smiled  happily,  saying  to  herself:  "  Cir- 
cumstance didn't  rule  fortune  this  time !  " 


CHAPTEK   XXVI 

'  I  XHE  crucial  hour  had  come.  Marita  stood  upon 
the  stage,  a  great  audience  waiting  for  her  music. 
She  was  perfectly  calm  and  self-possessed.  The  sea  of 
faces  represented  only  a  mass  of  humanity  for  her  to 
sway;  no  individuality  distracted  her  attention.  Her 
father  was  there  with  the  Chesters,  but  Marita  had 
purposely  avoided  knowing  the  location  of  their  box. 
She  realized  that  every  personal  thought  must  be  ban- 
ished, that  triumph  would  only  come  with  complete 
abandon  to  music. 

As  Marita  raised  her  violin,  she  turned  her  head  to 
the  right,  and  there,  in  a  box  near  the  stage,  sat  Mr. 
Channing.  He  was  gazing  at  her  with  a  look  that 
stung  like  a  poisoned  arrow.  She  knew  that  the  success 
of  the  woman  who  had  baffled  his  advances  was  the  last 
thing  he  would  care  to  witness,  and  though  she  had 
no  thought  of  failing,  still  her  hand  seemed  weighted, 
and  it  was  with  difficulty  that  she  remembered  what 
she  was  to  play.  The  curse  of  the  artist  had  fallen 
upon  Marita;  she  was  self-conscious.  She  played  with 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  241 

magnificent  technique,  and  no  more  soul  than  a  pianola. 
Her  success  and  not  her  art  was  uppermost  in  her  mind. 
The  listeners  admired  her  skill,  but  not  a  single  heart 
was  touched.  The  applause  that  greeted  her  was  such 
as  might  be  given  to  a  fairly  good  pianist. 

Marita  left  the  stage,  knowing  that  the  music  had 
meant  nothing  to  her,  fearing  it  had  meant  nothing  to 
others.  One  look  at  Mr.  Truman's  face  told  her  the 
truth. 

"  I  have  failed!  "  she  gasped. 

"Well,  it  wasn't  exactly  a  triumph,"  he  said,  his 
expression  not  pleasant  to  see. 

The  time  that  intervened  between  that  awful  mo- 
ment and  her  next  selection  was  almost  a  blank  to 
Marita.  She  sat  motionless,  every  thought  and  feel- 
ing so  numb  that  the  call-boy  had  to  speak  to  her  twice. 
When  she  realized  that  she  must  go  on  the  stage  again, 
must  face  an  audience  prepared  to  tolerate  her  music, 
it  seemed  too  great  a  trial  to  be  borne.  She  rose  from 
her  seat,  trembling  in  every  limb.  No  one  spoke  to 
her  as  she  passed,  not  even  Mr.  Truman. 

Once  more  she  appeared  on  the  scene  of  her  failure. 
Mr.  Channing  was  leaning  forward,  his  face  full  of 
cold  satisfaction.     That  expression  burnt  through  Ma- 
le 


242  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

rita's  numbness.  She  hastened  to  the  front  of  the 
stage,  and  without  any  pause  or  even  inclination  of  the 
head,  she  dashed  into  such  an  outburst  of  music  that 
the  great  auditorium  fairly  rang.  Making  no  attempt 
to  render  the  selection  on  the  programme,  Marita 
launched  herself  on  a  wave  of  music,  letting  it  bear 
her  whither  it  would.  With  majestic  roll  it  swept 
her  beyond  the  limits  of  self,  out  into  the  inspired 
realm  where  pride  and  ambition  are  as  vapors.  She 
played  without  thought  of  time  or  place,  swaying  every 
heart  under  the  roof.  Forgetting  the  musician  in  the 
music,  each  listener  drifted  on  the  sea  of  his  own 
imagination,  pausing  under  the  beacon  lights  of  the 
past  or  carried  on  to  those  of  the  future. 

At  last  the  bow  ceased  to  move,  the  magic  strings 
were  hushed.  A  moment  of  breathless  silence  ensued; 
no  one  cared  to  break  the  spell. 

Marita  was  conscious  of  leaving  the  glare  of  the 
footlights  with  an  increasing  roar  in  her  ears.  By  the 
time  she  had  reached  the  wings,  the  house  thundered 
with  applause.  All  the  artists  gathered  around  her 
with  congratulations,  and  Mr.  Truman  nearly  shook  off 
her  hand  while  he  exclaimed  enthusiastically: 

"  You've  done  it  this  time;  you've  done  it." 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  243 

"  Have  I? "  said  Marita,  half  dazed  with  it  all. 

"  I  should  think  you  had !  Just  listen  to  that !  "  he 
cried,  waving  his  hand  in  the  direction  of  the  deafen- 
ing noise.  "  Go  on  again;  you'll  have  to  show  your- 
self." 

Marita  acknowledged  the  ovation  several  times,  and 
still  the  great  throng  clamored. 

"  What  shall  I  do  ? "  she  asked  of  Mr.  Truman. 
"  They  won't  stop." 

"  I'll  settle  it  for  you,"  he  said,  and  going  out  on  the 
stage  he  explained  to  the  audience  that  though  their 
appreciation  was  overwhelming,  the  rule  of  no  encores 
must  be  observed. 

"  Break  the  rule,"  called  some  one. 

"  Encore !  "  cried  some  one  else,  and  the  word  echoed 
from  every  part  of  the  house. 

"  This  beats  me,"  said  Truman,  as  he  went  behind 
the  scenes,  his  face  flushed  with  excitement.  "  I  guess 
you'll  have  to  give  an  encore." 

"  I'm  willing,"  said  Marita,  and  taking  up  her  violin 
with  an  ecstatic  feeling  of  adoration  for  it,  she  stepped 
out,  smiling  radiantly.  Involuntarily  her  glance  sought 
Mr.  Channing's  box.  She  wondered  how  he  would 
look  now,  but  he  was  gone. 


244  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

This  time  the  music  was  a  great  thanksgiving,  so 
sweet  and  full  of  grace.  It  soothed  and  strengthened 
many  a  world-worn  heart,  leaving  the  sense  of  a  bless- 
ing hovering  near. 

The  last  note  was  still  echoing  when  an  exquisite 
cluster  of  orchids  fell  at  Marita's  feet.  She  glanced 
up  quickly.  Mr.  Channing  stood  in  the  front  of  his 
box  watching  her  intently.  Regardless  of  rules  and 
propriety,  thinking  of  nothing  but  the  necessity  of 
showing  him  at  once  that  the  artist  was  as  far  beyond 
his  attentions  as  the  woman  had  been,  Marita  set  her 
foot  on  the  costly  flowers,  and  lifting  her  bow  played 
the  "  Ave  Maria  "  as  no  one  there  had  ever  heard  it 
played  before. 


CHAPTER   XXVH 

4 '  T  T  7ELL,"  said  Lawrence  Chester,  toasting  his  back 
before  the  drawing-room  fire  while  he  and 
his  wife  awaited  their  dinner  guests,  "  are  you  satisfied 
with  Marita's  season? " 

"  Indeed  I  am,"  replied  Mrs.  Chester,  emphatically. 
"  She's  surpassed  all  artists,  won  the  critics,  and  capti- 
vated society.  What  more  could  one  ask?  " 

"  Do  you  think  she's  happy?  " 

"  Now,  why  do  you  ask  that?  You  know  she  de- 
lights in  her  work." 

"  Work  isn't  everything  to  a  woman,  and  sometimes 
I've  thought  that  a  wistful  look,  not  indicative  of  hap- 
piness,  was  settling  on  Marita's  face." 

"  Have  you  noticed  that,  too,"  said  Mrs.  Chester, 
anxiously.  "  I  hoped  it  was  only  my  fancy.  To  be  per- 
fectly frank,  I  don't  understand  Marita,  I  never  did,  and 
I  doubt  if  any  one  does.  She's  a  puzzle  to  everybody." 

Chester  studied  the  pattern  of  the  Persian  rug  he 
was  standing  on.  Suddenly  he  looked  up  from  the  in- 
tricate figures: 


24-6  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  Did  you  ever  find  out  why  she  took  the  name  of 
,  Anita  Mondello?" 

"  No,  I  haven't  yet  had  the  courage  to  ask  her." 

"  Such  a  queer  name  for  her  to  select,"  he  said, 
meditatively. 

"  Marita's  always  doing  odd  things.  She  was  differ- 
ent from  other  girls  at  Vassar,  and  she's  been  different 
ever  since." 

"  I  wonder  why  she's  never  married? "  mused  Ches- 
ter, studying  the  rug  again. 

"  Surely  not  for  lack  of  offers.  Possibly — "  Mrs. 
Chester  broke  off  in  the  aggravating  way  some  women 
have. 

"  Well — what?  "  demanded  Chester,  lifting  his  eyes 
with  a  slight  frown. 

"  I  used  to  think  that  perhaps — Grant  Hamilton." 

Chester  gave  vent  to  a  long,  low  whistle.  "  The 
wind  sets  that  way,  does  it?  By  Jove,  what  a  couple 
they'd  make!" 

"Wouldn't  they,  though?  And  don't  you  remem- 
ber how  devoted  he  was  at  our  house  party  last 
year? " 

"  Indeed,  I  do;  that  was  when  I  told  her  she  be- 
longed to  the  aristocracy  of  genius." 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  247 

"  And  so  she  does.  Shall  you  ever  forget  her  first 
night?" 

"  Never,"  said  Chester  forcibly,  and  before  him 
rose  a  picture  of  the  tall,  white-robed  woman  thrilling 
the  multitude  with  every  bend  of  her  bow.  "  And 
I've  never  forgotten  the  way  she  crushed  those  or- 
chids." 

"  Nobody  else  would  have  done  such  a  thing,  but  as 
I  said  before,  Marita  never  does  act  like  other  people." 

"  I'll  wager  the  man  of  the  orchids  has  never  both- 
ered her  since,"  and  Chester  chuckled  with  satisfac- 
tion. 

"  I  guess  not,"  said  Mrs.  Chester,  in  her  most  de- 
cided manner.  "  He's  only  one  of  many,  though. 
She's  often  greatly  annoyed.  Why,  yesterday  after- 
noon I  stopped  for  her  on  my  way  up  to  Mrs.  Schuyler's 
reception.  While  she  was  rolling  up  her  music  the 
maid  brought  in  a  package  from  Tiffany's.  Marita's 
lip  curled  as  she  took  it.  '  Now,  I  wonder  if  that's 
more  bait,'  she  said.  *  More  what  ? '  I  asked.  '  Bait,' 
she  answered.  (  That's  what  I  call  the  jewels  I  re- 
ceive.' '  You  don't  mean — '  I  began.  '  Yes,  I  do,'  she 
interrupted.  '  Open  that  package  yourself.  It  needs 
no  explanation.'  I  broke  the  seals,  and  inside  the  case 


248  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

was  a  costly  diamond  star.  A  well-known  clubman 
had  sent  it,  enclosing  a  note,  of  course.  I  was  furious. 
I  stormed  around  there,  abusing  that  man  and  all  men 
in  general,  except  you,"  with  an  arch  glance.  "  Marita 
took  it  very  calmly.  While  I  was  fuming,  she  did  up 
the  package  again,  directing  it  to  that  villain.  '  It 
used  to  disturb  me/  she  said  patiently.  l  Now  I'm 
used  to  such  things.  I  suppose  one  can  become  ac- 
customed to  almost  anything,  even  insults.'  Lawrence, 
my  heart  aches  yet  when  I  think  of  the  way  she  looked 
as  she  spoke." 

"  It's  a  beastly  shame !  "  cried  Chester,  bristling 
with  indignation.  "  She's  too  attractive  a  woman  to 
be  in  public  life  anyway.  If  Hamilton  cares  for  Ma- 
rita, why  in  the  name  of  Common  sense  doesn't  he  come 
home?" 

The  words  were  still  on  his  lips  when  the  butler 
entered,  announcing  Judge  and  Miss  Burton. 

"  I  believe  she's  grown  taller,"  thought  Chester, 
watching  Marita  as  she  came  down  the  long  room. 
"  Or  is  it  only  the  queenly  lift  of  her  head  that  makes 
her  seem  so?  She's  so  self-reliant,  yet  I  never  knew  a 
woman  who  appealed  more  strongly  to  a  man's  protec- 
tive instinct." 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  249 

Chester  sighed  a  little  as  he  stepped  forward  to 
greet  Marita,  observing  that  the  wistful  look  was  be- 
coming strongly  marked. 

On  the  same  evening,  while  the  Judge  and  Marita 
were  enjoying  the  hospitality  of  the  Chesters,  far 
across  the  sea  Hamilton  was  dining  at  The  Carlton, 
in  London.  He  had  just  returned  from  an  extended 
trip  through  Egypt,  and  one  of  his  first  thoughts  was 
that  now  he  could  get  the  home  news.  Having  dressed 
for  dinner,  he  left  his  chamber,  intending  to  get  a 
Paris  "  Herald  "  to  read  while  he  waited  in  the  ante- 
room for  a  vacant  table  in  that  busiest  of  eating  places, 
the  grill-room.  Hamilton  knew  he'd  have  to  wait;  he 
had  been  at  The  Carlton  before.  Passing  down  the  long 
corridor,  he  met  an  eminent  English  barrister  with 
whom  he  was  well  acquainted.  Being  urged  to  join 
Lyndsay's  party  in  the  restaurant,  Hamilton  accepted 
the  invitation,  thinking  that  dining  with  friends  in  the 
brilliant  restaurant  would  be  much  pleasanter  than 
eating  alone  in  the  grill-room. 

It  was  long  since  Hamilton  had  seen  anything  like 
home,  and  as  he  sat  down  among  the  distinguished 
men  in  familiar  dress  suits,  and  women  resplendent  with 
jewels,  he  was  glad  to  be  in  the  mother-country  again. 


250  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  I'm  tired  of  knocking  about,"  thought  Hamilton, 
not  listening  to  the  conversation.  "  I've  about  reached 
the  conclusion  that  when  you've  a  thorn  in  your  side, 
the  hurt  isn't  eased  by  hopping  around.  I  wonder 
how  it  would  have  been  if  I'd  stayed  in  the  traces  at 
home?  It  seemed  beyond  human  endurance;  it  was 
beyond  me." 

Here  some  one  addressed  a  remark  to  Hamilton,  in- 
terrupting his  retrospections.  Fortunately,  he  was  able 
to  reply  intelligently,  but  during  the  remainder  of  the 
dinner  he  wisely  gave  his  attention  to  his  companions. 
By  the  time  coffee  had  been  served  in  the  palm- 
room  the  hour  was  late,  and  Hamilton  bade  his  friends 
good-night;  yet  before  going  upstairs  he  stopped  to 
inquire  of  the  newsboy  if  he  had  a  Paris  "  Herald  " 
left.  Tired  as  he  was,  he  couldn't  sleep  until  he  had 
looked  up  affairs  in  America.  Dropping  down  on  a 
settee  near  the  lift  he  read  the  political  news;  then, 
turning  to  the  page  devoted  to  social,  dramatic,  and 
musical  notes,  his  attention  was  drawn  to  an  article 
headed  "  The  New  Star."  Always  interested  in  high 
art  of  any  kind,  Hamilton  folded  over  the  paper  and 
began  to  read.  Suddenly  his  heart  gave  a  great  leap. 
He  was  choked,  breathless,  dizzy.  The  lines  of  print 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  251 

waved  up  and  down,  yet  those  words  stood  out  as  if 
stamped  in  red,  "  The  wonderful  violinist,  Anita  Mon- 
dello."  For  some  minutes  he  clutched  the  pages, 
mutely  staring  at  the  words  so  freighted  with  mean- 
ing. At  last  he  lowered  the  paper,  gazing  down  the 
hall  wonderingly.  Where  was  he,  anyway?  A  much 
bewigged  flunkey  passed  before  him.  Oh,  the  Carlton 
— London — yes,  certainly.  What  had  happened? 
Something  had  burst  upon  him  and  dazed  him.  He  was 
reading — yes;  what  did  he  read — words — a  name — that 
was  it!  A  name.  Hamilton  raised  the  paper  again; 
there  it  was — Anita  Mondello — Marita!  Confusion 
vanished  now,  everything  was  clear.  He  didn't  need 
to  reason  it  out;  he  knew  in  an  instant  why  Marita  had 
taken  her  mother's  name,  and  why  she  had  chosen  a 
public  career.  ~No  hesitation  now;  he  was  already  on 
his  feet,  repeating  thankfully,  "  She  knows,  she  knows 
it  all!  " 

Going  straight  to  the  office  Hamilton  leaned  over 
the  desk,  saying  to  the  clerk,  "  Tell  me,  when  does  the 
first  steamer  sail  for  New  York?  " 


CHAPTEK   XXYIH 

'"TT^HE  homeward  trip  was  a  period  of  torture  for 
Hamilton.  Those  eight  days  of  deck-pacing 
seemed  interminable;  as  for  the  nights,  they  were  rest- 
less ages.  When  he  could  distinguish  the  outline  of 
New  York  harbor  he  almost  shouted,  and  as  they  drew 
nearer  he  did  take  off  his  hat. 

Hamilton  landed  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and  rushing  his  luggage  through  the  Custom  House, 
reached  home  in  time  to  lunch  with  his  mother.  He 
spent  the  afternoon  with  her,  recounting  his  travels 
and  experiences;  then,  after  dressing  carefully,  he 
went  down  to  the  Union  League  Club  to  dine. 

Though  Hamilton  thoroughly  searched  all  the  news- 
papers, he  failed  to  find  any  announcement  concerning 
Anita  Mondello.  Of  course  it  was  late  in  the  season, 
the  first  of  May;  but  still,  he  had  hoped  to  find  a  notice. 
Well,  perhaps  it  was  better  so,  he  would  see  her  at 
home. 

Purposely  selecting  a  quiet  corner,  Hamilton  sat 
down  with  his  back  to  the  other  tables.  He  didn't 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  253 

want  a  crowd  of  the  boys  around  him  to-night;  he  pre- 
ferred to  dine  undisturbed.  He  had  chosen  an  attrac- 
tive place,  though,  and  the  table  next  to  his  was  soon 
occupied.  Four  men  were  sitting  there,  and  being  so 
near,  Hamilton  couldn't  help  hearing  their  conversa- 
tion. 

As  the  dinner  progressed,  one  of  his  neighbors 
asked,  "  Does  any  one  know  where  Mondello  plays 
to-night? " 

Hamilton  strained  his  ears  now. 

"  She  doesn't  play,"  answered  one  of  the  men. 
"  It's  too  late  in  the  season  for  stars  to  appear." 

"  Tell  me  about  her.  I've  been  away  so  long  that  I 
don't  know  what's  going  on  in  town." 

The  tone  of  this  last  voice  was  peculiar.  Hamilton 
turned  his  head,  and  saw  a  man  whose  most  striking 
characteristic  was  the  magnetism  apparent  in  every 
line  of  his  face. 

"  Why,  Mondello  has  been  the  musical  sensation  of 
the  year.  She  dropped  down  on  us  from  heaven  knows 
where,  and  carried  New  York  by  a  large  majority. 
Truman  launched  her;  nobody  knows  where  he  found 
her.  She's  been  the  one  necessary  feature  of  all  the 
swell  entertainments." 


254-  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  What's  the  reason  of  her  success?  "  asked  the  man 
of  magnetic  power. 

"  A  combination  of  genius,  personality,  and  mys- 
tery." 

"  Mystery? " 

"  Yes;  no  one  seems  to  know  anything  about  her, 
and  nothing  can  be  discovered." 

"Indeed!" 

"  The  boys  call  her  '  The  Impossible/  She  seems 
to  be  absolutely  invulnerable.  Not  a  man  in  town 
has  won  even  the  privilege  of  calling  upon  her.  To 
each  and  every  one  she  turns  a  deaf  ear.  Then,  too, 
she's  unique,  decidedly  so." 

"  Scorched  a  little  yourself,"  thought  Hamilton, 
longing  to  strangle  the  man. 

"  Just  what  do  you  mean? "  asked  one  of  the  party. 

"  Well,  for  one  thing,  Mondello  sends  all  her  floral 
offerings  to  the  hospitals;  not  many  stars  do  that. 
Then,  she's  never  been  known  to  answer  a  note,  and 
jewels  are  returned  the  same  day  they're  sent." 

"More  than  scorched,  burnt,"  decided  Hamilton, 
wrathfully  gritting  his  teeth. 

"  Speaking  from  experience?  "  some  one  asked. 

"Never  mind  whether  I  am  or  not.     One  thing  I 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  255 

will  say,  though,  I'd  like  to  see  the  man  who  can  win 
any  favors  from  that  woman!  " 

"  So  would  I!  "  exclaimed  the  man  whom  Hamilton 
had  noticed.  "  I  knew  her  before  she  began  her 
career." 

"  You  did? "  inquired  the  man  who  had  said  so 
much,  listening  with  interest. 

Channing,  for  it  was  he,  nodded,  fingering  an  empty 
wine  glass  as  he  spoke.  "  Before  I  went  away  I  hap- 
pened to  witness  her  triumph  at  the  Metropolitan, 
recognizing  in  the  violinist  a  Miss  Burton  whom  I  met 
at  Palm  Beach  last  winter.  She's  a  very  attractive 
woman  with  a  stunning-looking  father,  who  seems  to 
be  the  only  person  she  really  cares  for,  so  far  as  I  could 
find  out." 

"  "Well,  Channing,  if  you  found  her  impossible,  it's 
no  wonder  the  rest  of  us  failed." 

"  I'm  willing  to  own  she  was  too  much  for  me.  I 
tried  to  win  her  favor,  tried  hard,  and  I  thought  I'd 
almost  succeeded;  but  something  held  the  girl  back, 
and  she  turned  me  down  so  completely  that  I  was  glad 
enough  to  leave  her." 

"  She's  an  adept  at  turning  people  down;  more  than 
one  New  Yorker  knows  that." 


256  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  I've  been  wondering  why  she  chose  an  Italian 
name,"  said  Channing,  curiously. 

"  If  you  find  out  anything  about  that  woman 
you'll  be  doing  well.  Mondello  is  absolutely  inac- 
cessible herself,  and  Truman's  lips  are  glued  together 
when  your  questions  concern  his  favorite  star.  As 
for  the  name,  I  suppose  it's  only  a  freak;  most 
women  take  fancy  names  when  they  enter  public 
life." 

"  Whatever  the  name  may  be,  she's  no  freak;  I  never 
saw  handsomer  shoulders." 

"  I'd  like  to  see  them  veiled  with  that  beautiful  hair 
of  hers." 

This  was  more  than  Hamilton  could  bear.  He  rose 
hastily,  to  the  astonishment  of  the  waiter,  who  won- 
dered why  such  a  healthy-looking  man  should  send 
away  plate  after  plate  untouched. 

Walking  hurriedly  out  of  the  dining-room,  Hamil- 
ton went  at  once  to  the  directory  and  searched  for 
Truman's  address.  He  found  it,  and  calling  a  han- 
som, was  soon  on  his  way  to  Seventy-second  Street. 
Seldom  had  Hamilton  been  so  stirred  by  conflicting 
emotions — one  moment  full  of  anger,  the  next  exult- 
ant. Baring  his  head  to  the  warm  night  air  of  spring, 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  257 

Hamilton  braced  himself  against  the  broadcloth  cush- 
ions, thinking  : 

"  How  dared  those  men  speak  of  her  like  that !  In- 
famous !  The  scoundrels  ought  to  be  thrashed.  Noth- 
ing would  suit  me  better  than  to  horsewhip  every  one 
of  them.  Talking  of  Marita — Marita — in  that  way! 
Poor  girl,  how  she  has  been  heaped  with  trials;  and 
hasn't  she  borne  them  just  as  I  knew  she  would.  If 
ever  a  woman  proved  herself,  Marita  has.  Dear  heart, 
I  know  how  you  must  have  suffered,  how  the  struggle 
has  wrenched  your  heart.  It  would  be  like  you  to 
hide  all  your  anguish,  too.  I  don't  believe  even  your 
father  knows  how  hard  it  has  been.  Yet,  knowing 
yourself  nameless,  and  thinking  that  joy  was  crushed 
out  of  your  life,  you  took  up  this  work;  you  met  these 
temptations,  you  conquered  the  world  and  yourself! 
It  was  a  brave  thing  to  do,  and  not  one  woman  in  a 
thousand  could  have  done  it.  Oh,  my  love,  I  am  so 
proud  of  you;  and  to  think  that  men  should  speak  of 
you  as  those  villains  did  to-night!  "  Hamilton  sat  up 
straighter  and  jammed  his  hat  down  on  his  head.  "  I 
don't  know  how  I  kept  my  temper.  It's  a  wonder  I 
knew  enough  to  get  out  when  they  began  discussing 

Marita's  fine  points  as  they  would  those  of  a  horse. 
17 


258  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

The  rottenness  in  this  world  is  enough  to  sicken  a  man, 
were  it  not  balanced  by  sterling  worth,  like  Marita's. 
Oh,  isn't  she  made  of  good  stuff!  Confound  that 
horse,  it's  the  slowest  beast  on  the  avenue." 

When  Hamilton  reached  Mr.  Truman's  residence, 
he  lost  no  time  in  sending  up  his  card.  In  his  present 
frame  of  mind  waiting  was  intolerable,  and  he  was 
truly  grateful  for  Truman's  prompt  appearance.  Giv- 
ing him  a  rapid,  gauging  glance,  Hamilton  introduced 
himself  and  then  explained  his  errand. 

"  I'm  an  old  friend  of  Judge  Burton's,"  he  said, 
"  and  having  just  returned  from  Europe,  I  do  not  know 
his  address.  I  understand  his  daughter  has  been  star- 
ring under  your  management  this  winter,  and  I  thought 
you  could  tell  me  where  to  find  them." 

"  I'd  be  very  glad  to  oblige  you,  Mr.  Hamilton,  but 
I'm  under  the  strictest  orders  not  to  give  their  address 
to  any  one — man,  woman,  or  child." 

"  I  understand;  that's  what  I  should  expect  of  Miss 
Burton;  she  knows  how  to  conduct  herself." 

"Well,  I  guess  she  does.  E"o  star  has  been  more 
sought  after,  and  never,  in  all  my  experience,  have  I 
seen  a  young  woman  carry  herself  with  such  dignity." 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  259 

More  balm  for  Hamilton,  but  he  was  intent  on  Ma- 
rita's  address. 

"  I  presume,"  he  said,  after  a  moment's  thought, 
"  that  they  can  be  reached  by  telephone.  Do  you  mind 
calling  up  the  Judge,  and  asking  him  if  he'll  receive 
me?" 

"  Keally,  I  couldn't,  because — I  might  as  well  tell 
you — they're  not  in  town." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Hamilton,  his  face  lighting  up. 
"  That's  all  I  want  to  know.  If  they're  not  in  New 
York,  they  will  surely  be  at  Lindenhurst." 


CHAPTER   XXIX 

TT  was  one  of  those  days  when  buds  that  have  long 
been  ripening  burst  into  bloom;  when  leaves  un- 
fold and  grass  springs  high  and  feathered  nest-builders 
fill  the  fragrant  air  with  song. 

For  the  first  time  since  their  return  to  Lindenhurst, 
the  Judge  and  Marita  breakfasted  with  all  the  win- 
dows open. 

"Just  look  at  the  apple  orchard,  father;  it  has 
whitened  in  a  single  night." 

"  That's  so,"  said  the  Judge,  proudly  surveying  the 
sweep  of  his  land,  fresh  with  the  glories  of  spring. 
"  This  place  is  too  lovely  to  leave.  If  you  weren't  so 
anxious  to  go  away " 

"  You'd  stay  at  home  and  not  be  half  so  well  off  in 
the  autumn  as  you  will  be  after  such  a  trip  as  your 
willful  daughter  is  going  to  insist  upon." 

"What  a  slave  I  am,"  said  the  Judge,  looking  at 
Marita  fondly,  "  and  how  sweet  the  bondage!  " 

"Lucky  you  think  so,"  returned  Marita,  saucily,  "for 
you  have  need  of  your  most  humble  mood  this  morning." 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  261 

"  What  awful  thing  is  the  tyrant  contemplating 
now? " 

"  Nothing  less  than  a  morning  ride  for  you — alone." 

"  Pray,  why  are  you  not  going  with  me?  " 

"  Slaves  should  never  be  inquisitive;  I  don't  mind 
telling  you,  though,  that  young  ladies  who  are  prepar- 
ing to  take  their  fathers  away  have  various  affairs  on 
hand  which  need  attention." 

"  Really,  dear,  you're  not  going  to  stay  in  the  house 
this  glorious  morning? " 

"  Yes,  father,  I  really  am;  you  see  I've  been  away 
from  home  so  long  that  there  are  lots  of  things  to  be 
done,  both  for  the  house  and  myself." 

The  Judge  shook  his  head. 

"  You  ought  to  be  out  in  the  air." 

"Don't  worry  about  that;  I  was  on  the  river  over 
an  hour  before  breakfast." 

"  Well,  now,"  said  the  Judge,  delightedly,  "  it  does 
me  good  to  hear  that;  and  if  you  began  the  day  by 
being  so  like  your  old  self,  I'll  do  anything  you  ask." 

Marita  smiled,  and  her  father  never  guessed  what  a 
heavy  heart  she  had  carried  on  her  pilgrimage  to  the 
spring  in  the  woodland  dell;  he  couldn't  know  how  con- 
tinually she  lived  over  the  past  with  Hamilton,  how 


262  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

Lindenhurst  was  haunted  with  painful  associations;  he 
thought  she  was  becoming  quite  contented,  and  she 
let  him  think  so. 

With  this  thought  uppermost  in  his  mind,  the  Judge 
ordered  his  horse,  and  cantered  over  the  hills  while 
Marita  went  about  the  house,  occupied  with  various 
duties.  Concluding  that  it  would  be  well  to  change 
her  dainty  white  morning  gown  for  a  more  suitable 
working  dress,  she  left  the  maid  to  finish  the  china 
closet,  and  passing  through  the  dining-room,  stepped 
into  the  hall.  The  front  door  stood  wide  open,  and  as 
Marita  went  towards  it  on  her  way  upstairs,  every- 
thing suddenly  whirled  around.  It  couldn't  be!  She 
had  so  often  seen  Hamilton  in  her  imagination  that 
she  could  not  believe  she  really  saw  him  now,  coming 
up  the  steps,  across  the  veranda.  Oh,  it  was  he! 
This  was  no  fancied  figure,  vanishing  in  shadows;  it 
was  a  moving,  breathing  man,  swiftly  advancing,  with 
eyes  aglow.  A  great  rush  of  gladness  swept  away 
every  restraining  thought,  and  how  could  she  help 
that  joyous  step  into  his  arms?  Then  the  world  was 
forgotten  in  one  of  those  moments  only  known  to  the 
hearts  that  have  loved  and  suffered. 


CHAPTER   XXX 

TT  7" HEN  Hamilton  bent  his  head  to  touch  Marita's 
lips  he  broke  the  spell;  with  a  quick  move  she 
drew  herself  away.  He  caught  both  her  hands,  whis- 
pering : 

"  Why  not? " 

"  Don't,"  she  pleaded,  seeing  he  was  about  to  in- 
sist, "please  don't."  Then,  looking  up  into  his  face, 
her  eyes  eloquent  with  love,  Marita  said :  "  If  you  only 
knew  how  hard  it  is  to  refuse !  " 

Hamilton  met  her  look  with  a  gaze  that  was  one  long 
caress;  then  he  pressed  his  lips  to  her  forehead,  saying 
gently,  "  Come  and  talk  it  over,  dear." 

Together  they  passed  into  the  library,  each  thinking 
of  that  dreadful  night  when  she  had  sent  him  away. 

"  I'm  sorry  you  came,"  Marita  began. 

"  You  didn't  act  sorry  to  see  me,"  interrupted  Ham- 
ilton, smiling  into  the  eyes  he  had  hungered  for  so 
long. 

A  wave  of  red  flushed  Marita's  face  as  she  gave  him 
one  of  those  looks  that  lovers  feed  upon. 


264  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

"  I'm  sorry  you  came,  though,"  she  repeated.  "  Our 
meeting  can  only  bring  you  suffering,  and  I  think  you've 
had  enough." 

"  So  do  I,"  said  Hamilton,  emphatically,  "  and  I 
don't  propose  that  either  one  of  us  shall  have  any 
more;  that's  why  I  came  home,  to  straighten  every- 
thing out." 

Hamilton  spoke  with  much  more  confidence  than  he 
really  felt. 

"  If  you  came  back  for  that,"  she  said  slowly,  "  your 
trip  is  useless." 

"  Marita,"  said  Hamilton,  knowing  that  determined 
tone  only  too  well,  "  I  cannot  believe  that  you  will 
wrench  my  heart  again  as  you  did  the  last  time  we 
were  together  in  this  room.  If  you  knew  how  I  after- 
wards tried  to  work,  and  failed;  how  I  confused  cases 
and  mislaid  papers  until  I  locked  up  my  desk  in  de- 
spair; how  I  travelled  from  place  to  place  in  search 
of  peace  that  never  came;  how  I  finally  landed  in 
England,  learned  that  you  knew  the  secret  I  couldn't 
unfold " 

"  How  did  you  learn  that  I  knew? "  asked  Marita, 
speaking  so  low  that  her  words  were  scarcely  audible. 

Hamilton's  face  and  voice  were  full  of  tenderness. 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  265 

"  I  learned  it,  dear,  in  this  way.  You  see,  I  had  just 
returned  from  a  long  trip  through  Egypt,  and  on  the 
night  of  my  arrival  in  London  I  purchased  a  Paris 
"Herald";  eagerly  seeking  for  home  news,  I  found 
an  account  of  Anita  Mondello." 

"  Oh!  "  cried  Marita,  feeling  as  if  something  struck 
her  when  Hamilton  spoke  that  name.  He  took  a  step 
forward,  longing  to  comfort  her,  but  she  motioned 
him  back,  saying  faintly,  "  Go  on,  go  on." 

"I  understood;  I  knew  you  had  learned  the  truth; 
I  sailed  on  the  first  steamer  bound  for  home;  I  crossed 
the  ocean,  Marita,  to  claim  my  wife."  She  impul- 
sively stretched  out  both  hands,  and  Hamilton  seized 
them  in  his.  "  How  brave  you've  been,  and  so  much 
to  bear!  'Twill  be  easier  now,  dear  heart,  with  me 
to  help  you.  Why  didn't  you  send  me  word  that  you 
knew? " 

"I — I  couldn't,"  she  said,  slowly  withdrawing  her 
hands  from  his  clasp. 

"  Too  proud,"  said  Hamilton,  shaking  his  head  re- 
proachfully; "  but  now,  when  I  have  sought  you,  when 
everything  is  known  to  both  of  us,  there  is  nothing  to 
prevent  our  marriage;  nothing  to  keep  you  out  of  my 
arms;  nothing  to  make  you  stand  there  looking  like 


266  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

that.  Marita,  for  God's  sake,  smile;  are  you  not  glad 
to  be  my  wife?  " 

"  You  know  I  can  never  be  your  wife,"  answered 
Marita,  strength  coming  with  her  need. 

"  I  don't  know  any  such  thing!  "  exclaimed  Hamil- 
ton. 

"  Do  you  think  I,  who  have  no  name,  would  take 
one  of  the  proudest  names  in  America?  A  Hamilton 
and  a  nameless  woman,  aristocracy  and  illegitimacy." 

"  Stop !  "  cried  Hamilton,  looking  dangerous.  "  You 
forget  that  Alexander  Hamilton  himself  is  charged 
with  uncertain  parentage;  you  forget  the  day  at  Farno's 
when  I  said  that  birth  is  the  one  thing  for  which  no 
man  is  responsible;  you  forget  the  night  at  Tuxedo, 
when  Chester  and  I  agreed  that  individual  worth  is  the 
only  true  standard  in  a  world  of  shams;  you  forget 
that  I've  always  placed  character  first." 

"  I  do  not  forget  my  own  birth." 

"No,  you  don't;  it's  the  first  selfish  thing  I  have 
ever  known  you  to  do." 

"  Selfish?  "  Marita  questioned  in  surprise. 

"Yes,  selfish,"  repeated  Hamilton.  "Think  now, 
how  it  is.  I  know  you  are  worthy  in  the  sight  of  God, 
therefore  the  laws  of  man  do  not  trouble  me.  I  come 


BECAUSE  of  POWER  267 

to  you  and  ask  you  to  be  my  wife;  I  bring  to  you  all 
the  burning  hopes  of  a  man's  heart,  and  you  refuse  me 
everything  because  no  priest  said  a  few  words  to  your 
mother  and  father." 

"  Those  few  words  mean  law  and  order,  the  sanction 
of  the  church,  the  consecration  of  God." 

"  Very  true;  but,  Marita,  would  they  have  made 
you  any  different?  Would  they  have  changed  your 
soul,  given  you  another  heart?  If  you  could  only 
understand  how  character  outweighs  the  circumstance 
of  birth,  then  you  would  stop  thinking  of  your  own 
pride  and  marry  me." 

"Don't,  oh,  don't  say  any  more!  All  this  talk  is 
useless  torture." 

"  It  may  be  torture,  but  it  isn't  useless." 

Hamilton's  eyes  blazed  with  determination;  it  was 
wellfthat  Marita  had  plenty  of  courage. 

"  It  is  useless,"  she  persisted,  pressing  her  finger 
nails  into  her  palms.  "  You  wouldn't  want  to  marry 
me  if " 

"  What?  "  demanded  Hamilton. 

Every  atom  of  color  left  Marita's  face. 

"  If  you  remembered  my  mother's  blood;  if  you 
knew  how  it  had  asserted  itself;  how  it  nearly  conquered 


268  BECAUSE  of  POWER 

me  in  the  south.  There  was  a  man,  Grant,  a  man  down 
there " 

"  I  know  all  that." 

"  You  know — that?  "  Marita  gasped,  breathless  with 
astonishment. 

"  Yes,  I  do,  never  mind  how,  but  I  know  it;  I  know, 
too,  how  you  repulsed  that  man  and  all  other  men 
who  have  sought  you  during  the  winter.  Don't  you 
see  how  this  knowledge  only  confirms  my  belief  and 
strengthens  my  trust?  You  have  stood  many  tests." 

"  Surely  you  cannot  know  all;  you  cannot  know  how 
far  I  went.  Grant,"  she  met  his  questioning  gaze 
steadily,  "  I  allowed  that  man  to  take  me  in  his  arms 
and  kiss  me." 

Hamilton  never  flinched. 

"  What  saved  you?  "  he  asked  with  white  lips. 

"  The  thought  of  you,"  she  cried,  glorying  in  the 
confession.  "  I  lifted  my  eyes  and  saw  the  stars;  I 
remembered  the  night  when  we  stood  out  there  by  the 
gate  and  you  told  me  to  look  up;  the  greatness  of  your 
love  saved  me  from  the  littleness  of  his  passion. 

Hamilton  drew  a  sharp  breath. 

"  Is  there  anything  more?  "  he  asked,  unsteadily. 

"  No,  that  is  all;  I've  told  you  the  worst." 


BECAUSE  of  POWER    .        269 

"You've  told  me  the  best!"  he  cried  joyfully. 
"  The  blood  that  led  you  astray  was  inherited;  the  spirit 
that  conquered  it  was  your  own.  Do  you  think  any 
man  would  fear  to  trust  his  future  to  such  a  woman?  " 

Marita's  eyes  burned  in  their  sockets;  her  throat 
was  dry;  she  said  huskily,  "  Knowing  all,  you  still " 

"  Yes,"  he  whispered,  opening  his  arms. 

"  Oh,"  she  cried,  with  glorious  self -abandon,  "  take 
me;  I'm  yours,  body  and  soul,  your  wife,  forever." 

A  rapturous  move,  and  their  lips  met  as  if  never  to 
part. 

Half  an  hour  later,  when  tEe  JuHge  rode  up  the 
driveway,  he  saw  Marita  and  Hamilton  standing  on 
the  veranda  waiting  for  him.  The  first  glance  told 
him  that  everything  was  settled;  he  could  read  their 
happiness  in  the  very  way  they  stood  side  by  side. 
Quickening  his  pace  he  soon  reached  the  house,  and 
springing  to  the  ground  the  Judge  went  up  the  sunlit 
steps,  holding  out  a  hand  to  each,  his  heart  filled  with 
thanksgiving. 


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